By Simon Hirst: David Haye vs Wladimir Klitschko is easily the biggest fight that can be made apart from a certain Manny Pacquiao – Floyd Mayweather fight. The heavyweight division is in desperate need of this, and there is a huge level of expectation given how needed it is, and the trash talk between the two over the last three years.

Not only that, but it really injects that passion amongst debate, with fans split on the outcome, how the fight will play out with numerous outcomes suggested.

Nobody in recent times has created the buzz that Haye has. Credit has to go to Haye because Klitschko has been around for years and HBO wouldn’t touch him because of his fights. That said, Klitschko is the challenge and his dominant style will be difficult to overcome. Let’s break it down into categories.

Experience

The experience has to go with Klitschko, he has many more fights, more experience in the division and is used to fighting smaller guys such as Haye. He has experience of getting of the floor, being knocked out, knocking many out and the experience to fight the fight at his pace and his style. There is not much Klitschko hasn’t experienced. Haye on the other hand has had less than 30 fights and only 4 at heavyweight. He has little experience in fighting guys as tall as Klitschko, except for Valuev who is a different animal to Wladimir.

Power

Both have huge KO records so this is hard to judge. Klitschko has very good power for the weight and is more proven to score a KO at this division. Haye has shown his power has carried to heavyweight, having stopped 3 of the 4 at the weight, as well as staggering Valuev with a broken hand. Both have the power to KO each other.

Speed

At first glance, Haye should be the man with the speed. He is a very explosive fighter and can explode into his punches, causing them to be very powerful. However, recently, Steward has warned that many of Klitschko’s victims have said they underestimated his speed. Without wishing to disregard this, many of Klitschko’s victims don’t have the speed of Haye, nor the movement, thus making them an easy target. Haye should be the speedier of the two.

Style

Their styles should gel for an interesting fight. Klitschko plays to his physical advantages very well, imposing his reach and height advantages to make sure his opponent is in his reach, but he is not within theirs. This could suit Haye, who will be happy to fight on the outside, looking to exploit any opportunities to use his explosiveness to rush in and get back out without taking any punches.

Weaknesses

Both have been down and question marks are raised about their chin. Haye has been stopped once by Carl Thompson after admitting to cutting corners in training, and whilst he has been down since, he has always got up and won via stoppage. Klitschko has been stopped three times and doesn’t like being hit on the chin. His style is now adapted to ensure safety first and that he doesn’t get copped. Also, Klitschko’s style means he has little experience at fighting on the backfoot, something that he may have to do if Haye smells blood.

Strengths

Haye is very explosive, has dynamite in both hands and really loves to fight. When in the ring, Haye will be ruthless if he gets the opportunity, a trait that you could argue Wladimir lacks. Also, Haye will not be intimidated in any way by Wladimir in the way that his past opponents have been. Wladimir has a very tough style, uses his size and reach very well and has possibly the best jab in boxing.

Likely Outcomes

Given the power of both, a points decision really does seem unlikely. Some think it will be short and sweet. Some suggest that Haye will be punished before being stopped late. The key to the fight is style. Who imposes their style. Can Haye find a way past the jab. Can he keep Wladimir from grabbing him? Who will land the first significant shot? How aggressive will Wladimir be and how will that suit Haye? There really are hundreds of questions that need to be answered before an outcome can be drawn up. For me, I see both Haye not being able to get to Klitschko and Klitschko wearing him down, or Haye’s explosiveness catching Klitschko off guard and a hayemaker turning the lights out. A visual way to think is I believe it will either be a typical Klitschko fight, or Haye’s Maccarinelli knock out.