By Scott Gilfoid: World Boxing Association heavyweight champion David Haye (23-1, 21 KO’s) has a title defense coming up in the next couple of months against mandatory challenger John Ruiz (44-8-2, 30 KO’s). This will be the first defense of Haye’s title after defeating big seven foot Russian Nikolay Valuev by a 12 round majority decision in November 2009. Haye hardly looked dominating in the fight, fighting a strictly defensive-oriented bout and doing just enough to get the win over Valuev.

I personally had Valuev winning the fight by a round. At worse, I had the fight scored a draw. The judges scored it 116-112 , 114-114 and 116-112. Never the less, it wasn’t exactly a dominating performance by Haye, who ran for most of the fight choosing only to throw a pot shot or two every now and then. Haye said later that he hurt his right hand early in the fight, and that caused him to throw fewer punches and fight more defensively.

Haye will have to fight much better than that if he wants to beat the 38-year-old Ruiz, and get a shot at a unification bout against one of the Klitschko brothers. Ruiz has good offensive skills, a frustrating punch & grab technique, and a solid chin. Haye will be tested in a big way in this fight, and he won’t be able to win it by knockout. Haye is saying that he’s going to destroy Ruiz without any problems.

However, I see that as empty boasting on Haye’s part. He just doesn’t seem to have same aggression at heavyweight compared to the way he fought as a cruiserweight. Thus far, in two of Haye’s three fights, he’s not looked like a phenom in beating Monte Barrett and Valuev. He’s winning, but I haven’t seen anything from Haye’s performances that would suggest that he’s capable of competing against either of the Klitschko brothers. In my estimation, I see Haye as blow top contenders Alexander Povetkin, Odlanier Solis and Eddie Chambers in ability. He’s missing the aggression and the work rate needed to compete with the better heavyweights in the division in my view.

I think Ruiz fight is going to be a very tough life and death bout for Haye. I see him running for his life after tasting some of Ruiz’s power early on, and looking to pot shot his way to a victory. That kind of thing will work against a bigger slower heavyweight like Valuev, but Ruiz will keep enough pressure on Haye to make this fight very close and ugly. I can see this fight being hard to pick the winner.

Haye will likely win, because he’s the champion and the fight will be no doubt held in England, but it will probably be controversial. I think Haye will stink up the joint by running nonstop for the entire 12 rounds. It would be much better for Haye to stand his ground and swing for the fences against Ruiz, and maybe catch him with something big. However, I think Haye, a small heavyweight at only 217, doesn’t feel comfortable brawling with the bigger, stronger heavyweights.