By William Mackay: Ricky Hatton and Carl Froch are both picking World Boxing Association heavyweight champion David Haye (23-1, 21 KO’s) to beat John Ruiz on Saturday night at the M.E.N Arena, in Manchester, England. In an article at the Express, Hatton says “Lennox was a great fighter and a hero of more up my street. He goes for the knockout and takes chances. He can fly the flag for British boxing.” Haye didn’t exactly go for the knockout in his last fight against 7-foot Russian Nikolay Valuev last November. In that fight, Haye looked timid, barely throwing anything and running all around the ring to avoid Valuev.
Hopefully, Haye doesn’t fight like that against Ruiz on Saturday night because that would be a huge disappointment for all the fans that will be coming to see him fight. Haye will have to fight a little better than that if he wants to get by Ruiz and move forward for a rematch with Valuev in the summer.
Carl Froch is also predicting a win for Haye, saying in an article at the Telegraph, Will he [Haye] beat Ruiz? Of course he will. I think he will walk through Ruiz and then hopefully get a shot at a Klitschko. He’s [Haye] too fast, too skillful and if he needs to, David can stand there. He’s proven now he can hold a shot. He’s very fit; I think he’s put in the extra work he needed to put in to make him a tougher, more durable fighter. He’s developed as a professional; he’s big and strong at heavyweight. He’s not big, bit but he’s by no means the smallest heavyweight champion of the world we’ve ever had.”
I disagree with Froch about Haye having proven he can take a shot. Haye has only fought three opponents at heavyweight – Tomasz Bonin, Monte Barrett and Valuev. None of those guys can really punch compared to other heavyweight contenders, and none of them come close to the kinds of shots that Haye would be experiencing if he fought one of the Klitschko brothers.
Haye ran for most of his fight with Valuev, and didn’t stay still long enough for the slow giant to land anything. Haye would get hit by a younger heavyweight like Alexander Povetkin or Odlanier Solis, and he’s probably going to get hit a lot by Ruiz. I don’t think Haye has the power to just walk through a veteran like Ruiz. I think Froch may have watched too many of Haye’s fights at cruiserweight, because Haye hasn’t shown the same kind of domination at heavyweight that he showed at the cruiserweight level.
Part of that appears to be because the heavyweights are so much bigger than the small 200 pound cruiserweights that Haye was accustomed to fighting. Haye also doesn’t seem to be that big of a puncher at the heavyweight level. He can punch well for cruiserweight but at heavyweight, Haye looks about as powerful as Monte Barrett in punching power. Haye’s going to have to get better in a big hurry if he wants to beat Ruiz and move forward to his rematch with Valuev.
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