By Jordan Stoddart: The last week started with reports coming in that David Haye, WBA Heavyweight champion of the world, was due to sign formal contracts to fight Audley Harrison, a recent EBU champion who’s only real claim to fame was as a Gold medalist at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. A long time has passed, and his standing in the sport is now somewhat laughable, no disrespect to the fighter intended. The fight was confirmed on Tuesday morning, and a press conference that was littered with obscenities and general trash talk was aired to the ‘world’. “This will be a public execution” stated the ever so eloquent Haye as he spat venom for as long as he was listened to. One could argue the ridiculous amount of trash talk which ensued was just there to promote a disgraceful bit of match making, if you want to call it that. Then came the bombshell from Haye that his November 13th bout at Manchester’s MEN arena would be ‘as one-sided as a gang rape’. Outrage in the United Kingdom followed, and rightly so. An absolutely appalling way to use such a horrific crime as a marketing tool. A new low, for a fighter who talked so much when entering the Heavy’s, yet has proved to be Great Britain’s answer to Floyd Mayweather.
“I’m the most devastating fighter on the planet”, stated Haye as he reverted back to a phrase which Tyson used so well in his early career, but who did live up to it, and I am talking about fighting the best fighters available. Mayweather stated after his one sided bout with Juan Manuel Marquez, that he ‘was the greatest fighter that ever lived’. He then backed out for the second time with negotiations to fight the world No 1 pound for pound fighter, Manny Pacquiao. Funnily enough, over in the United States, we hear similar despicable talk, when Mayweather, allegedly the best Welterweight in the world, called Pacquiao a ‘yellow midget’ and asked ‘if he could cook him some sushi, then some cats and dogs’. Both journeys from these fighters have an astonishing amount of similarities. Both, to a degree, have hand picked opponents, both claim to be the greatest in their chosen divisions/planet, both rely on shock value marketing, and both have failed to fight the best Boxers on offer. The only difference being is that the self marketed David Haye guaranteed that he would fight the Klitschko brothers after the Ruiz fight. Its pretty easy to see that Haye is now actually avoiding them, much to my disappointment. He kinda lost a big fan on Tuesday morning.
Ladies and Gentleman, I have pondered over this for some time now, and I can confirm that we have a new fighter on the scene. One that incorporates the mouth of Ali, (Although Ali’s rhetoric looks like a picnic now, compared to the vile abuse aired over the last few weeks by these two clowns) the potential of Sugar Ray Leonard, but the guts of a retreating solider. Unfortunately for the Boxing world, it gets worse, after Friday evenings news had surfaced that Floyd Mayweather had been, yet again, on the wrong side of the law. Whilst the 7 weight champion, Manny Pacquiao was setting up camp for his November 13th bout with Antonio Margarito, Floyd was in a detention centre, awaiting to be released on $3000 bail for getting himself arrested on charges of grand larceny as part of a domestic violence case.
This week has truly been appalling for the sport. One half represented the United States, and the other half of this demon represents the United Kingdom. Lets be honest here, both countries do not have much to shout about on the World stages these days.We both like to think we are pugilistic superpowers, but that is not the case, in this new world of emerging participants; Mexico, Philippines, Germany. I am being genuinely serious when I say this, but this really is not great news. Sure, I to a degree relate to the phrase ‘any press is good press’, but not when you start bringing racism and rape slurs into your vocabulary. Individuals who find it funny to laugh at such jokes, are generally of the Neanderthal breed, and I have no time for these people, they are a stain on society. But when you have arguably 2 of the biggest fighters in the sport stating such drivel to a massive worldwide audience, then its going to be a downward projectory from here on in.
The biggest threat to our beloved sport is not the UFC, nor is it the TV companies, or the fans who have left the sport over the last few years; ironically due to fighters like Mayweather handpicking fights and not exhibiting his undoubted skill against as many world class and relevant opponents as possible. The biggest threat is now this seriously damaging press which I can only assume will stay in our papers and on our Websites for some time. I am personally angry at how these 2 fighters, who really took my love of Boxing to a new level, then much like how our soccer players act when the money starts rolling in, the paying fan, like you and me, is tossed to the garbage and alienated. On another point, I wonder how many of these disaffected fans have switched to UFC? Funnily enough, I have just subscribed to a TV company to watch it. Maybe there is a link. Make no mistake, we are in trouble folks, and I am not trying to paint some doomsday theory, where the actual existence of Boxing will disappear, that would be ludicrous. What I am talking about is the sheer audacity of fighters like Haye and Mayweather, to walk away from the 2 biggest fights in the history of modern Boxing, then to represent the very same sport that made them who they are today, in such a despicable manner. Manny, Audley, you got yourself 2 new fans.
Forget the theories that 1 champion in each division, or 3 fights per fighter per year will drag us back to the golden ages, it will not, and it will never happen. What we need to do is encourage and pay back the core demographic of fans and followers that pay for these bouts and its fighters; they are getting pretty peed off right now. On top of all this, we have the Top Rank merry-go-round, with appalling undercards and match-ups happening constantly, its drivel. No wonder TV companies pulled out of live coverage a long time ago. I want to wake up one day next year, with fight posters of Mayweather V Pacquiao and Klitschko V Haye on my wall. That is where I, and every other fan on this planet wants to be, saying thank God the dark days over. Unfortunately we are at rock bottom as a whole, and fans of singular fighters or who just flick in and out of the sport, need to realise its a team sport effectively. You have to ask yourself, what has ‘Hayeweather’ bought to the table over the last few years? My list is short, and includes the words possibility, opportunity, embarrassment.
On a positive note, I am looking forward to tonight’s superb bout between Wladimir Klischtko and Samuel Peters. Its a sequel, its free on TV, its on nice and early in Europe, and its for 3 straps. The defending champion is a great role model for the sport, and for all the criticism he gets outside of Europe, he is a still a great flag bearer the Boxing world, and is also a fine, technically gifted fighter. His opponent has a hammer of a right, is in good form, and has knocked Wlad down 3 times previously. Its going to be a cracker, lets roll.
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