By Sean McDaniel: World Boxing Association heavyweight champion David Haye (24-1, 22 KO’s) was supposed to be the new breed of heavyweight when he came on the scene after beating 38-year-old journeyman Monte Barrett and then 36-year-old Nikolay Valuev to win the WBA heavyweight title last year. Instead, we’ve got Haye beating 38-year-old John Ruiz in his first defense of his title last April followed by four months of inactivity in which Haye says he’s resting from the Ruiz fight. The Ruiz fights was one-sided with Haye dominating until he stopped Ruiz in the 9th. Haye barely was hit at all in the fight.
But after four months of no fights, Haye still hasn’t picked out his next opponent and that is bizarre, at least by the normal heavyweight standards. If Haye is the new breed of heavyweight, I’ll opt for the old breed any day of the week. As far as Haye’s next opponent goes, we know who he won’t be fighting and that’s Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko. Those two heavyweights are considered to be the best in the division by far and are the ones that Haye previously said that he was interested in fighting. Since winning the WBA title, Haye suddenly appears to have lost interest in fighting them.
Sure, Haye mentions their names every once in awhile, saying that he can knock them both out, but few people are believing him anymore because he’s failed to step up to the plate and fight the Klitschko brothers when given the chance. It will be interesting to see who Haye ends up fighting. Haye supposedly has several unnamed heavyweights that he and his trainer/manager Adam Booth are looking at fighting next. Haye won’t name names, but its likely Audley Harrison, Tomasz Adamek and Nikolay Valuev. Haye owes a rematch to Valuev, and I think that’s a nice safe fight for Haye, because Valuev has slowed down dramatically in the last couple of years in terms of hand speed and he’s not a huge puncher.
It would be a fight that would do well in the UK, and Haye wouldn’t take a lot of criticism for fighting Valuev, because he’s still considered to be one of the best heavyweights in the division. But Valuev is not the same fighter he used to be and not much of a threat to beating Haye. Next, there’s the 38-year-old Audley Harrison. I doubt he’ll get picked because it would lead to Haye getting a lot of negative feedback from fans. He’d make good money fighting Harrison in the UK, but it would make some boxing fans feel that Haye is just milking his WBA title.
The fight against Adamek is probably not going to happen. Adamek moves a lot, can punch a little and has a way of making his opponents look bad at times. Adamek is the best of the bunch and probably capable of beating Haye if he lands something decent on Haye’s fragile chin. I can’t see that fight happening now or ever.
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