By Scott Gilfoid: In an interview from Fighthype, trainer Naazim Richardson says he thinks that World Boxing Association heavyweight champion David Haye (23-1, 21 KO’s) would beat the Klitschko brothers. However, Richardson’s reasoning for why Haye would beat them seems to be more than a little flawed to say the least, pointing to Haye’s recent unimpressive 12 round majority decision win over WBA heavyweight champion Nikolay Valuev last month in November.

Richardson says “I think if he [Haye] fights them [the Klitschko brothers] like he fought the giant [Valuev], David Haye could beat the Klitschkos. I like the way he [Haye] moved in and out and every time he went in, he would unleash a combination and get back out. If he was able to stagger the giant like that, he could hurt the mini giants.”

I don’t know what fight Richardson was watching, but I didn’t see too many of those combinations from Haye that Richardson was referring to. I did see an occasional punch here and there thrown from Haye, but not combinations. Haye averaged little better than 10 punches landed per round, so I don’t where a combination would be fit in with that anemic amount of punches landed.

I think Richardson should sit down and take a closer look at some of the fights of the Klitschko brothers, and then immediately watch the Haye-Valuev and the Barrett-Haye fights. If he does that, I don’t know how Richardson can come up with any other conclusion that Haye will be way in over his head and likely destroyed by either of the Klitschko brothers.

Haye is a good heavyweight, but I see him more as a 2nd bottom of the pack heavyweight rather than a champion. The fact that Haye beat Valuev, to me at least, suggests that Valuev had no business holding down the WBA heavyweight title. Valuev appeared to have been beaten in a 12 round bout by 46-year-old Evander Holyfield in Switzerland. However, Valuev was given what many people now consider a gift decision over the former champion Holyfield.

For Haye to beat the Klitschko brothers, he would have to try and take the fight to them. Haye won’t be able to beat them by throwing pot shots form the outside and running all night long like he did against Valuev. I don’t care if Haye’s hand was hurt in that fight, he just doesn’t throw a lot of punches during most of his fights. Haye is a knockout artist, not a boxer/puncher like the Klitschko brothers. Haye is small for a heavyweight at only 217, and doesn’t throw a lot of jabs.

Haye has got good hand speed, but a shaky chin. Haye would have to be willing to fight like Mike Tyson to beat the Klitschkos. I think Haye easily has the power and the hand speed to beat both of them, but he needs to be more aggressive and throw more punches if he’s to beat either of them. In the end, I don’t think Haye has the chin, the work rate or an aggressive enough attitude to compete with either of them. The mostly likely scenario of a fight between one of the Klitschko brothers and Haye is a knockout loss for Haye. The only way I could see Haye surviving if if he ran all night long and played ostrich on the ropes like Kevin Johnson did against Vitali.