by Liam Fitzgerald: It’s pretty clear that David Haye’s prediction that he would be the man to provide the Heavyweight division with the excitement it was lacking as well as getting it talked about again is coming to fruition. Now, the Bermondsey man receives a lot of criticism as well as praise for his style but I don’t think anyone can deny that he has rejuvenated the Heavyweight scene.

I won’t deny I am a big Haye fan but I have to say that I believe a lot of the criticism levelled at him is misguided. It’s understandable how his arrogance annoys plenty of people but sometimes I believe this leads his ‘haters’ to make up ridiculous arguments against him.

One of these arguments is that Haye isn’t yet worthy to face the Klitschko brothers which I find astonishing. Firstly, Haye was the undisputed Cruiserweight champion of the world before moving up to Heavyweight permanently and as a result, in this day and age it is not unreasonable for the champion to get a title shot straight away. Times have changed and it’s no longer as necessary to prove yourself at a new weight before fighting for titles, like Evander Holyfield did. Then people question the opponents he has faced. Have you seen the Heavyweight division recently? It’s hardly bursting with talent! Main contenders like Kevin Johnson and Eddie Chambers were shown up badly when they went into the ring with the brothers and neither of them had done much to get their title shot. Ok Monte Barrett is not an elite level fighter but Valuev and Ruiz have been major players in the Heavyweight scene of recent years and both were disposed of by Haye. I thought his tactics were spot on against the giant Russian whilst he was at his explosive best against Ruiz recently.

The most recent argument is that the Klitschko’s would destroy Haye if he fought the way he did vs. Ruiz. The answer to this though is that we will see a different Haye when he is in with Wladimir or Vitali. Listen, after not taking many risks and relying on tactics to beat Valuev, Haye knew that he needed an emphatic win over Ruiz to prove himself as a world champion. A points win over an aging, yet still dangerous fighter, would not have helped to justify his claims of being one of the most exciting fighters on the planet. Therefore, he had to go for a KO to send a message and so in doing this he became more lax defensively. And the tactics worked. But he knows that it would be suicidal to fight in this risky way against either brother and it’s ridiculous to think that Haye will be anything like he was last Saturday defensively.

Haye will probably need to mix his natural brawling style with the same movement from the Valuev fight if he is to beat either brother in my view. It is crucial not to let either Klitschko, especially Wladimir, to control the fight behind their jab and movement will be key in doing this. Luckily for Haye he is a lot quicker than their recent opponents and so should do a more effective job of this than they have. However, it’s equally important that Haye can get close enough to throw his bombs because a KO is without doubt the easier method of beating the brothers. Once again, Haye is more likely to succeed in this area than the likes of Kevin Johnson and Eddie Chambers because he hits a lot harder. Therefore, he should pose a bigger threat than they have had to contend with recently.

The best thing about these match ups are that neither man would be overwhelming favourite. The Klitschko’s have always been favoured in their recent contests but Haye possesses the tools to cause an upset and win. I personally think he is great for boxing because he talks a good fight but more often than not delivers. Those who question his chin exaggerate the issue as he has only officially been down 3 times in his career and twice has shown the heart to go on and win. Even the Thompson stoppage was mainly down to fatigue as opposed to being completely gun shy. And even so this aspect just makes his fights even more exciting! I really hope he goes on to beat the brothers because I think he is such an exciting prospect who most importantly entertains. I won’t deny my view is slightly biased but I just feel that some of the criticism levelled at him is unfair and baseless. Feel free to agree/disagree with my opinions.