By Chris Williams: WBA heavyweight champion David Haye (23-1, 21 KO’s) is eager to land fights with the Klitschko brothers. In article at the Guardian, Haye says “One of them, both of them, whoever I can get hands on. I’d fight them on the same night if possible.”
A usual, Haye is his normal boasting self. Haye, however, has the problem of John Ruiz to deal with on April 3rd when he meets him at the M.E.N. Arena, in Manchester.
Ruiz is a tough fighter with a lot more experience compared to Haye. Despite what Haye says about him not looking past Ruiz, it appears that he’s doing just that as he longs for big money fights against the Klitschko brothers. Haye should know that he might have the talent to beat Ruiz after how poorly Haye performed in his last fight when winning a narrow, unimpressive 12 round majority decision over Nikolay Valuev last November.
Haye won by razor thin margin, but didn’t look any more impressive than 46-year-old Evander Holyfield did in losing a 12 round decision to Valuev in 2008. If you look at both fights back to back, it’s hard to see Haye as being any better than Holyfield. Ruiz has lost twice to Valuev in the past five years. In fact, all three of Ruiz’s losses have occurred in fights that took place in Germany.
Ruiz appeared to beat Valuev in both fights but ended up losing control decisions. Haye will have to fight better than he did against Valuev if he wants to beat Ruiz, because Haye looked little better than the fringe contenders that permeate the lower levels of the top 15 in the heavyweight division.
Haye was given a gift by being put in with Valuev for a title shot, because Haye didn’t really beat anyone to deserve getting a title shot. Haye should have at least beaten a top contender like Alexander Povetkin before getting a title chance. Instead, Haye was allowed to fight for the title after being obscure heavyweight Tomasz Bonin and journeyman Monte Barrett.
Haye still is making excuses for his unimpressive fight with Valuev, saying “People talk about my fight against Valuev as being not the most entertaining of fights, but look at the differences: He was a foot taller than me and seven stones heavier. What the hell is Wladimir’s excuse, fighting the way he did against someone who is six foot, completely out of shape and has not got any punch power?” The difference here is that Wladimir totally dominated Eddie Chambers from start to finish, stopping him in the 12th round. Haye, in contrast, badly struggled against Valuev, barely beating him and looking like a timid rabbit.
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