By Daniel Cann: Much has been written and debated concerning David Haye’s forthcoming WBA World Heavyweight title challenge against the giant World Champion, Russia’s Nikolay Valuev. This is an intriguing contest that could have big repercussions for the World Heavyweight scene for years to come.
Both have attempted to get one of the Klitschko brothers in the ring but contractual wrangling, that old favourite ‘options’ and injury have prevented this from happening. So, by happenstance we find both with a new dancing partner. Not such a bad thing for either man really.
It has been clear for years that the Klitschko brothers have been trying to monopolise the heavyweight division. They have made no secret of the fact that it is their dream to share all of the belts available from the alphabet boys. This is where the WBA belt comes in and why Haye and Valuev are rubbing their hands with glee.
Whoever wins their 7 November contest is perfectly placed for unification matches with the brothers (assuming they still hold their belts). If Klitschko snr and jnr want to accomplish their mission and get closure, one of them will need to pick up the WBA belt. For David Haye this is why his shot is such a golden opportunity. He will literally have the keys to the heavyweight kingdom should he emerge victorious against Valuev.
The situation is all the more sweet as protracted negotiations and a back injury have seen a frustrated and heartbroken Haye seem out of the picture for good earlier this year. For one contest against Wladimir to be cancelled was bad luck, for another one against Vitali to slip by seemed catastrophic. Thanks to a certain 7foot, 23 stone hulk from Saint Petersburg all bets and possibilities are back on.
Now to the fight against Valuev itself: Many fans have raised the concern that Haye will be ring rusty after not throwing a punch in anger since his fifth round technical knockout victory against the American, Monte Barrett in November of last year. I understand this valid worry, but, Haye is 28 years old and fresh with no real wars behind him. If he was in his mid to late thirties and with more wear and tear I would be more concerned for the Bermondsey fighter’s chances.
I am not comparing Haye to him, I am just citing this situation as an example, but Muhammad Ali had a fifteen month hiatus between winning his World crown and defending it against the man he took it from, Sonny Liston due to a hernia operation. That layoff hurt the much older Liston more than it did the twenty-something Louisville Lip. So, long layoffs are more likely to harm older athletes (Valuev is 36, not ancient by modern heavyweight standards but near the mark). Point made and I readily concede that Haye is several leagues lower than ‘The Greatest.’
We must also remember that Valuev’s last contest was back in December last year against the 46 year old, shop-worn and battle-scarred modern great Evander Holyfield. No disrespect to Valuev or to the man from Atlanta, but Holyfield has been fighting from memory since about seven years ago. I can remember the calls for his retirement as far back as his points defeat to Michael Moorer way back in 1994. I know Holyfield has built a career around proving the naysayers wrong and is a personal boxing hero of mine, but even his most ardent supporters would acknowledge that his glory years were long gone when he challenged Valuev.
Yet, in that contest Holyfield gave the giant a torrid and close contest, many feeling that he had been robbed. This is something that the similarly proportioned but much younger Haye can take heart from. Both Holyfield and Ruslan Chagaev have shown that the giant Champion can be ‘outhustled.’ This should help Haye’s confidence, not that he is lacking in that department anyway!
Many Haye detractors point to his chin as a weakness, often citing the fight with Carl Thompson when Haye was stopped out on his feet in the fifth round. What people forget was this was only his eleventh contest. He admitted he was over-eager, learned from his defeat, dusted himself off and made adjustments. Since then he has been put on the floor by Jean Marc Mormeck in a World Cruiserweight title fight, again Haye naysayers point this out with glee forgetting that Haye picked himself up off the floor after taking a monstrous punch and then battered the top Frenchman to defeat. He was down again against Barrett; again he showed his mettle in getting back up and winning inside the distance. Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano and Larry Holmes are all boxers who have been knocked down only to recover and win. It is only a weakness if you fail to get up! If a fighter can come back from adversity and win he is to be commended not criticised. It is a mark and measure of a boxer’s tenacity.
One thing about Valuev that is clear, he is no concussive one punch knockout artist. His victories in World class have been by being awkwardly effective rather than sensational. His sheer size causes opponents problems and no matter how fit, strong or tough you are, mixing it up with a behemoth like Valuev is energy sapping and must be daunting. He has a decent grasp of the rudiments of boxing, he does nothing spectacular but does everything well. He has a decent jab and a good uppercut. He also knows how to tie a man up. Just look at his contests against master ‘spoiler’ John Ruiz, Valuev took the Puerto Rican’s game away from him and had him in fits. Wrestling with a giant is not a wise career move!
What I also like about Valuev is his composure, he is quietly effective. He is patient, does not get flustered often and he listens. While I doubt he will ever be in anyone’s top ten all time heavyweight greats he is a decent boxer and undoubtedly belongs in World class. Haye will have his work cut out if he gets frustrated and taken out of his stride. Just mixing it round after round with all the concentration involved will be energy sapping in itself, if he has 23 stone leaning all over him too Haye’s stamina will be sorely tested.
Haye does possess explosive power, whether it will work against the so far solid looking Valuev remains to be seen. If Haye loses heart after a few of his best salvos have landed with no noticeable effect then Valuev will fancy his chances more. So far Valuev has shown a good chin, stamina and durability.
Haye has fought with a cut (against Giacobbe Fragomeni) and has been several rounds in the past so I am not questioning his stamina and couarge. But he has never fought a man of Valuev’s size and stature before. And here is the rub. Should Haye emerge victorious against Valuev his confidence will be soaring. He will be equipped with the knowledge that he can face a bona fide (enormous!) heavyweight and win. Fighting the large Klitschko brothers won’t appear so intimidating anymore. Granted the Klitschko’s possess more skill and all round innate ability than Valuev, but the mystique and unknown factor of facing a much larger foe will be gone after this fight for the WBA title.
I don’t like to make predictions, especially with heavyweights, but I so see a scenario where Haye is the busier and wins on points. Chagaev and Holyfield have shown the way and it is not too outlandish to see a top contender like Haye succeeding as well. I remain sceptical that he will be able to blow Valuev away, it would be a pretty special shot that fells him in one go. Perhaps a late stoppage is a possibility particularly if Haye begins to overwhelm the Russian.
Whatever happens at least we will finally have an answer to the question: Can David Haye cut it in the Big Leagues of Boxing? That is something that is having all of us debating and arguing across the globe. If he wins it could be the spark that sets World Heavyweight boxing alight again. As mentioned earlier he is no Ali, but we desperately need some excitement generated in the division again, perhaps it’s that time?
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