By Scott Gilfoid: World Boxing Association heavyweight champion David Haye is looking to repeat Muhammad Ali’s Rumble in the Jungle by fighting WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko in Africa next year in 2010. According to an article from the Daily Mail Haye is interested in setting up a bout worth £30million in Gabon. “Ali is a massive hero of mine and if I could do something like he did then I’d love it,” Haye said. “Maybe we [Vitali Klitschko] can stage the new Rumble in the Jungle. I am looking to leave a legacy and to be able to fight in every continent would be tremendous.”

That sounds nice on the surface. However, Haye isn’t well known outside of the UK. In fact, that’s pretty much where all Haye’s fan base is located, which would make a fight in Africa seem kind of doubtful. In contrast, Muhammad Ali was popular worldwide at the time that he fought knockout artist George Foreman on October 30th, 1974 at the Mai 20 Stadium in Kinshasa, Zaire. That fight worked out well because of Ali’s popularity and the fearsome reputation of Foreman.

Haye doesn’t have the heavyweight experience of an Ali or Foreman to make this a huge event. Klitschko isn’t popular outside of Europe, and it’s difficult to imagine that he’d be able to draw fans in Africa. Haye would be much better off trying to stage a fight with Klitschko in England or Germany, where the two could sell out a stadium.

If Haye wants to have a legacy like Ali, whom he sees as a hero figure, then Haye should focus on establishing himself as a quality heavyweight by trying to defend his title over and over again like Ali did. By traveling to Africa at this early point in Haye’s career, before he’s even shown that he can defend his title once, it’s like putting the cart before the horse.

Haye barely beat WBA heavyweight champion Nikolay Valuev on November 7th, having to settle for a narrow 12 round majority decision over the weakest of the heavyweight champions. That’s not the kind of performance that makes you think that Haye has the kind of clout to go to Africa and try to set up a fight with Klitschko there. It just seems misguided and backwards at this point. Haye needs to stick around for awhile and prove himself, and then if he’s still a champion, then by all means he should try to lure one of the Klitschko brothers over to Africa or wherever.

Right now, it would be almost be comical for them to fight in the same place that the great Ali did. The Ali-Foreman bout was a great fight between two excellent heavyweights. I can’t say that a fight between Haye and Klitschko would be anything close to that.