By Scott Gilfoid: I don’t see what David Haye’s problem is, but he needs to start showing IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (52-3, 46 KOs) the respect that he deserves or else risk taking the beating of his life come June 20th at the Veltins Arena, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The latest episode of non-respect from Haye came earlier today when he strut into a news conference being held in Veltins Arena with a horrible t-shirt showing him holding the decapitated heads of Wladimir and Vitali.
Wladimir, naturally, lost it completely and started hurling threats about wanting to knock Haye out in the 1st round to make him pay for this. Haye might think that he’s just playing a few head trips with Wladimir to get him out of his game and sell a few more tickets with the fans, but what David is really doing is digging his grave because Wladimir is going to take his head clean off with shots when they step in the ring.
This isn’t the first time that a fighter has tried to get into Wladimir’s head before a fight, because 6’6″ 260 pound Derrick Jefferson tried the same exact thing eight long years ago in March 2001. After talking a lot of trash before the fight, Jefferson went in the ring and was quickly knocked out in the 2nd round by Wladimir, and dropped three times in the process.
British boxing fans are probably not too familiar with Jefferson since he retired four years ago, but let me tell you, he was a bigger puncher and more of a threat than Haye will ever be at heavyweight.
Wladimir made it look easy beating Jefferson, knocking him down with short left hooks and overhand right hands without getting all that much. For those who haven’t seen the fight, I suggest you take a look at it on YouTube to get a good idea of the fate that awaits Haye.
Jefferson didn’t have the best chin obviously, which is why he didn’t make it very far at heavyweight. However, I’d put Haye’s chin in the same class as Jefferson’s, maybe a little worse though. But overall, Jefferson was a better heavyweight in my estimation than Haye will ever be, because Jefferson had huge power in both hands and a lot of size at 6’6″.
If Haye wants to end up like Jefferson, he can go ahead and continue treating Wladimir badly in head to head meeting with him. But if he’s smart, he’ll back up and start groveling a little bit, and kissing Wladimir’s backside. The trick is by showing respect to Wladimir, Haye can maybe lull him to sleep enough where Wladmir may feel a little sorry for him and won’t bring out the heavy artillery in the first few rounds against him. Because if Wladimir lets his hands fly in the early going, Haye is going to be taken out on a stretcher and you can put in that in the bank.
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