By Manuel Perez: David Haye (22-1, 21 KOs) comes into the June 20th bout with IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko with a fearsome reputation earned mostly from Haye’s stint as a cruiserweight. At heavyweight, Haye has continued with his impressive knockouts, putting down both Tomasz Bonin and Monte Barrett, neither of which that will ever be mistaken as a champion.
Haye has been all business since moving up to the heavyweight division and seems to have brought some excitement to the division, although in truth most of it has been done with his mouth with his challenges of both Wladimir Klitschko and his brother Vitali, the WBC heavyweight champion.
It’s almost as if Haye doesn’t care if he loses to them, he’s in their face and not the least respectful of either of them. It doesn’t bother Haye that Wladimir and his brother Vitali are considered to be the best in the division.
Haye just seems to believe that he’s better than them both, and he may just be. However, if history is any guide, Haye will have problems if he gets hit squarely by Wladimir, who hits much harder than any fighter that Haye has ever been in the ring with in his career.
Certainly, Jean Marc Mormeck and Carl Thompson don’t hit nearly hard as Wladimir, and they were able to put Haye down. Both of them weighed all of 200 when they were able to drop Haye, so how can David expect to survive against a fighter that weighs 45 more pounds than Mormeck and Thompson?
That’s the major question, because even when a fighter gains weight and moved up to a higher division, their ability to take a punch doesn’t change along with them. If Haye had problems taking shots from cruiserweights, then how can Haye count on winning against one of the most powerful heavyweights in the division?
It seems clear that Haye is hoping to get Wladimir before he gets him, and is likely planning on jumping on Wladimir fast in the first couple of rounds to try and take him out in the same manner that Haye was able to finish off Enzo Maccarinelli in March 2008.
That’s possible, because Wladimir does have a weak chin. However, that seems like a poor plan if you ask me, because Wladimir already knows Haye’s style from having watched many of his fights and will be prepared for that kind of fighting.
Haye may be 6’3”, but he doesn’t fight like someone that tall, and mostly lunges forward with his occasional shots. Haye doesn’t really throw all that many jabs like Wladimir. Instead, Haye does most of his work by loading up with shots from the outside and hope for the best.
If he can land something big and get Wladimir stunned, only then will we see Haye move in and throw the kind of flurry that he finished off Maccarinelli with. It won’t be easy with Wladimir because he won’t be opening up in the same way that Maccarinelli did and thus won’t be in the power alley of Haye for him to connect with his big shots.
Instead, Wladimir will have his guard high and will be leaning back, jabbing hard and avoiding Haye’s wild shots. The only way that Haye will be able to land anything at all is if he runs at Wladimir and throws a wild shot. I doubt that will work no matter how quick Haye is.
Wladimir will be ready for him and likely connect with a short left hook and put Haye down. Haye’s chin will crumble once he’s hit hard by the first left hook from Wladimir and he’ll go down just like he did with Mormeck and Thompson.
At best, Haye may be able to fight hard for a couple of rounds, but after that he’s going to tire out because of his added weight and fast pace that he’s going to force on himself. In the end, however, his glass jaw will betray him again and he will be finished in an exciting manner.
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