By Scott Gilfoid: The tender-chinned WBA heavyweight champion David Haye (23-1, 21 KO’s) will be facing what his trainer/manager Adam Booth calls his most dangerous opponent of his career when he faces two-time heavyweight champion John Ruiz (44-8-1, 30 KO’s) on April 3rd at the M.E.N. Arena, Manchester, Lancashire. The fight is one that Haye, 29, has little choice but to take if he wants to hold onto his World Boxing Association strap.

Ruiz, 38, is his mandatory challenger and there was really no other way around him other than giving him a step aside fee to take a bigger, albeit more dangerous fight against one of the Klitschko brothers. If Ruiz ends up beating Haye like I think he will, Haye will be kicking himself in the backside repeatedly wishing he had paid off Ruiz and opted for a big money fight against one of the Klitschko brothers.

But Haye perhaps thinks that he can get an easy win over Ruiz before taking on one of the Klitschko brothers, which is looking more and more like a certain loss for Haye. I think Ruiz is going to ruin Haye’s plans for a mega fight against Klitschko when he steps in the ring with Haye on April 3rd, and knocks his lights out. I think Haye has really bitten off more than he can chew with Ruiz, and he’s going to be in for a big shock on that night.

Haye is going to be fighting in front of a large home crowd of 20,000 fans in Manchester, and with all the racket they’re going to be making, it’s going to make Haye abandon his usual cautious way of fighting and try to slug it out with Ruiz. This will play right into the hands of Ruiz, who does remarkably well against fighters that come straight at him looking to trade with him.

Haye will likely try to pull a repeat of his 2nd round knockout win over cruiserweight Enzo Maccarinelli from two years ago by trying to open up with a barrage of punches and hope for the best. With Haye throwing wide windmill punches in a haphazard manner, Ruiz will be able to catch him in between shots by nailing him with straight right hands to the head. I see Haye quickly getting staggered and having to back up to try and collect his wits.

Ruiz will come after him firing straight hands down the pipe, and further staggering a retreating Haye. In this case, depending on how wildly the British crowd is, Haye will either wise up and gather his senses by clinching for all he’s worth or he’ll foolishly try and trade. My guess is Haye will make the mistake of opting for the latter strategy, if you want to call it that, by trying to fire back at Ruiz to get him to back off.

It won’t work. Ruiz will keep on top of Haye, tagging him with one power shot after another, whiplashing Haye’s head back and forth like he’s rocking to a silent beat that only he can hear. Finally, Ruiz will land a chopping right hand that will connect to the tender chin of Haye, sending him down on the canvas.

The referee will give him the benefit of the doubt and count to 10, even though Haye will be face down on the canvas, out cold with eyes shut. The crowd won’t know what to say, and not a word will be uttered from their open pie holes.