By Matt Stein: With the Wladimir Klitschko vs. David Haye title bout only one month away it’s difficult to find many unbiased boxing fans and experts that feel that Haye, 28, has a chance at beating Wladimir. Perhaps because of this, the interest in the Haye-Klitschko fight is lukewarm at best in the United States.

However, the bout is still considered a hot item in Europe for some reason. What seems especially strange is that many of Haye’s backers that initially felt that he was going to be too strong for the sometimes weak-chinned Wladimir are now jumping ship as their fight at the Veltins Arena, in Gelsenkirchin, Germany, gets nearer.

This could be because the fans are bending to the beliefs of more qualified experts in the field who see Haye as being too small of a fighter to compete with the best heavyweight in the division. Some I would assume have been influenced about how desperate and wild-eyed Haye has appeared in the handful of press conferences with Wladimir and Haye.

On those few occasions, Haye has appeared professional, mature or anything like a balanced adult as he’s talked trash, wore outlandish t-shirts taunting Wladimir and his older brother and just come across like a fighter that isn’t prepared for a powerful heavyweight like Wladimir.

The size problems that Haye will be having in this fight will be dramatic. Haye stands 6’3” 215 pounds compared to Wladimir’s 6’7” 245 pounds. Haye doesn’t fight well at a distance and relies on having to cross wide areas of the ring in leaps as he lunges with his punches.

Against heavyweights that are pretty much his size or smaller, Haye is able to land his badly telegraphed punches, but against a fighter like Wladimir that is four inches taller who tends to fight off his back foot, Haye’s punches will very miss repeatedly in this fight.

Possibly the few fans that weren’t turned off by Haye due to experts’ analysis of the Klitschko-Haye bout, probably saw how that Haye’s style couldn’t work against a tall, defensive oriented heavyweight like Wladimir. It’s not that Wladimir is only a defensive fighter, because he’s much more than that.

Wladimir has some of the best offensive tools in the heavyweight division when he chooses to use them. Most of the time he doesn’t use all his offensive weapons, opting to use his jab mostly to minimize taking risks, and getting hit with something big by his opponents.

However, when Wladimir does choose to let show his offensive weapons for any length of time, it often results in his knocking his opponents out shortly thereafter. Wladimir’s knockout record of 46 KOs in 55 fights shows the kind of power that he has wants to throw power shots.

There’s no question this is going to be an exciting fight. Haye is going to be anxious trying to get in that one big shot. Both fighters have tremendous power. I don’t see this fight going the distance. I see it lasting about six to 7 rounds. Wladimir is fast, powerful, tall and more experienced. He knows that Haye will be coming out trying to throw bombs and try to pressure.

Haye has to get inside to land his big shots. Up until now, only one fighter (Corrie Sanders) has been able to do that, but that’s when Wladimir was much younger and more inexperienced. Haye is going to get jabbed and jabbed a lot in this fight.

Haye will be trying to duck under Wladimir’s jabs to try and work his way inside. The jab is Wladimir’s main weapon in his arsenal and he’s been able to control most of his opponents with it when he remembers to use it. Haye has to fight hard if he has any chance at winning this fight. I see Haye getting knocked out in this fight and put down a notch in his career.

Haye may have a chance in this fight, a small one, but he’s going to have to look much better than he’s looked as a cruiserweight or in his two fights at heavyweight, because he doesn’t look world class at heavyweight at this point. If Haye wants to compete with Wladimir, Haye is going to have to fight bigger, cover ground faster and show a better chin.