Photo credit: Al Stevenson – By William Mackay: Former Muhammad Ali trainer Angelo Dundee is really enthusiastic about WBA heavyweight champion David Haye’s chances of becoming the next big star in the heavyweight division. In an article at the Telegraph Sport, the 88-year-olds Dundee says “Haye could spark it up. Haye will knock out the younger Klitschko [Wladimir]. I’m sure he will knock him out, but the older Klitschko brother [Vitali] is harder to fight. He plods with his left hand and he is hard to get to. The younger Klitschko, Haye will have a great chance against. Every fighters his time, and it may just be David Haye’s time right now.”
Hopefully, Dundee saw Haye’s recent fight with WBA heavyweight champion Nikolay Valuev before he made these comments, because Haye showed nothing in that fight that would give me any belief that he could he even land more than a few harmless punches against Wladimir Klitschko, much less actually beating him. I see a potential Wladimir Klitschko vs. Haye fight as a one-sided slaughter, even worse than Wladimir’s recent 12th round knockout over Eddie Chambers.
Dundee has it right about Vitali Klitschko and Haye. Vitali would be tough, much too tough for Haye to deal with. Haye’s only real chance in that fight is if he stalls three to five years before making the fight with Vitali. By that time, Vitali will be in his 40s, slower and perhaps old enough for Haye to beat by decision. But if Haye takes Vitali any time soon, I see Haye getting destroyed in a one-sided loss.
Dundee says “He [Haye] is an exciting guy. He’s a breath of fresh air, and has lit up the world heavyweight division.” Thus far, Haye really hasn’t done much other than beating three heavyweights – Tomasz Bonin, Monte Barrett and Valuev. Those fighters aren’t exactly the murderer’s row of the heavyweight division. We have to 2nd tier heavyweights and an aging paper champion without any hand speed, foot speed, technique or power.
It’s hard to see how Haye has “lit up the world heavyweight division” as Dundee says when those are the only fighters that Haye has fought at heavyweight. If Haye had beaten some quality fighters like Alexander Povetkin, Odlanier Solis, Samuel Peter, Denis Boystsov and Eddie Chambers, I could see the excitement. But Bonin, Barrett and Valuev aren’t good enough for me to drop for the 10 count and start praising Haye as the next exciting heavyweight. Haye didn’t even look good in beating Valuev. I thought it was a horrible fight from both Haye and Valuev. That certainly wasn’t a Muhammad Ali-esque performance from Haye in that fight. Can you imagine what a 29-year-old Ali would have done with Valuev? It wouldn’t have been a massacre.
“Haye is a new beacon in the heavyweight division…I’m happy he’s there, and has overcome his first obstacle in the division. We need him. What I like about him is that he is full of confidence, and when fighters are like that, as Ali was, they create excitement.” Yes, confidence is nice, but it’s got to be backed up with actual ability and not just a bunch of bluster. Heavyweights that talk with a great deal of confidence are a dime a dozen. This is nothing new.
Haye is going to have to show that he can back it up in the ring, starting with his fight this Saturday night against two-time heavyweight champion John Ruiz at the M.E.N. Arena, in Manchester. It might not take even a Klitschko brother to burst Dundee’s bubble if Haye doesn’t turn out to be as good as Dundee has imagined him to be.
Ruiz is a good heavyweight, though probably not as good as other contenders that Haye may find himself facing the future like Soils, Povetkin, Boytsov, Peter and Chambers. If Haye isn’t good enough to beat Ruiz, then Dundee is going to have to re-think his estimation of Haye’s qualities. Haye can still be a good talker if he loses, but without the skills to back it up, I don’t see anyone listening to him much longer.
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