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Can Haye be new heavyweight sensation?

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Hiya folks,

David Haye finally gets an opponent and a real fight when he takes on former heavyweight title challenger Monte Barrett at the O2 Arena on 15 November.

It’s a dangerous fight for Haye, who will be having his first fight since the second-round knockout of Enzo Maccarinelli – a win that cemented Haye as the world’s leading cruiserweight and a man who could even be the best kept secret in the heavyweight division.

Barrett, 37, has seen better days. He has a 34-6 record with 20 KOs but is coming off three quick wins, the last a first-round knockout of Tye Fields, a former basketball player for San Diego State University with a record of 41-1 which looked an impressive win.

He has been stopped three times by Wlad Klitschko and Nikolay Valuev in world title attempts, but he also had a shocker against Cliff Couser in July ’07 when he was banged out in the second against the rugged journeyman.

The Couser defeat doesn’t look good, but you could say it was a one off.

Barrett also lost on points in a gracious effort against Hasim Rahman for the WBC title.

We all saw Rahman flatten Big Lennox with one big right so we know he can punch and Barrett lasted the course.

He also lasted into the eleventh against Valuev, a hulk of a man, and has beaten ambitious fighters with unbeaten records at the time like Dominick Guinn and Owen Beck.

David Haye said himself that this is a ‘massive gamble’. I like the fact that Haye’s team haven’t gone for a really soft option.

He is being matched with ambition right from the off and I think that will put his chances in the heavyweight division into perspective.

If he were beating up on nobodies and then stepped into a title fight, who knows what would happen but by matching him quite hard from the start then his team are showing that they mean business.

Many people have spoken about David Haye’s whiskers. The fact that he has been down and been wobbled on a few occasions gets fans' tongues wagging.

I’ve always said the most important part of when you get hit is how you react.

David was hurt badly against Lolenga Mock early on in his career but came back strongly to stop the Zaire-born slugger.

He was badly cut by Giacobbe Fragomeni but rode out the storm and stopped the Italian in defence of his European title.

Most relevant of all was the win over Jean-Marc Mormeck in the lions den, Paris.

Haye came back from being knocked down in the fourth to go on and stop the Frenchman in the seventh and win the WBC and WBA belts. He showed that night he has a champions heart.

More likely than not, Monte Barrett is going to test David Haye’s chin. This fight is going to be a good example of how David will fair in the bigger division.

People’s opinions vary about David Haye’s chances as a heavyweight. I was wondering what the boxing fans thought??

Regards

Gary

Latest 10 comments

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posted Oct 6, 2008

someone like Ray Mercer or Tommy Morrison would have beaten most of these guys I think. As would old George. Donovan Ruddock? I could go on
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** Except for Holy only fought one of those guys.

He was lucky to survive a bad patch against Big George because George no longer had the footspeed to catch up and finish him off.

Moorer, Czyz, Cooper, those guys extended him out. Even old Big Pants Lar made him work hard, 5 yrs out from being thrown aside like a rag doll by Tyson....diva

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posted Oct 7, 2008

At the end of the day Haye can only beat what's put infront of him. However it may be a blessing in disguise that the current crop of heavyweights are rubbish. With his suspect chin and low hands he would probably be nothing more than the "young pretender" of the Lewis, Holyfield era.

Anyways i reckon its very hard to call Haye's looming heavyweight career. He has the class to beat Klitchko and the rest but when one punch can knock you out then it becomes impossible to decisively map out his heavyweight career. He's a bit like Arsenal....he has the ability to beat everyone but with suspect areas of his game he could easily end up losing to someone he really shouldnt, like Hull!!

By the way.....can someone explain to me why moving up to heavyweight means he is less likely to be knocked out? i keep hearing from different people in the media that when someone (like Haye) moves up a division their punch resistance increases....but surely it will decrease as the punches he recieves are harder.

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posted Oct 7, 2008

"Even old Big Pants Lar made him work hard, 5 yrs out from being thrown aside like a rag doll by Tyson..."

Yeah a truly world class Tyson at the peak of his powers. You say it like it was a bad defeat? Come on, was ANYONE not getting thrown around like 'a rag doll' by Tyson then.

I forgot about Larry and frankly I would back him, at the age he was when he fought Holyfield, to beat all today's guys apart from Haye and Klitschko. None of them would have had any answers to probably greatest jab the top division has ever seen and he would have outpointed all of them.

And I was talking about the general strength of the division in comparison to then rather than specifically who Holyfield had beaten. But I mean come on, I just want to hear you say it, are you really suggesting that Holyfield at his peak would not clean up in this division??

Reality check time my man.

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posted Oct 7, 2008

Wlad is more powerful.

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I disagree, I think Haye will have more power than the Wlad, why do u want him to beat Haye so bad! Anyway everyones got an opinion and mine is that IF he gets past Barrett, which will be tough then I believe he will dominate the heavyweight division............at the end of the day its all down to whether or not he gets those cornrows back hahaha

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posted Oct 7, 2008

Peggers - I think thats his natural weight - Also sometimes cruiserweights who bulk up their shoulder/neck muscles can absorb more. They can get stunned but unlikely to get knocked out.

Look at holyfield for example.

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posted Oct 7, 2008

Holyfield at his peak would not clean up in this division??
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** Holy is a myth of modern pharmaceuticals.

Look, he never came close to cleaning out his era, losing to Bowe, Moorer, and Lewis near his best, and Ruiz after being somewhat competitive against Lewis. Never fought Morrison, Ruddock, Tucker, Tua, Ike, Golota, Byrd until it was way too late, McCline, Grant, Bruno.

Not saying he ducked them, but defenses against Cooper, Czyz, Holmes, Bean are weak compared to above bigger, stronger, more dangerous fighters.

The closest Bowe came was two decent Holy performances. His title defenses pathetic, and the only other big prime contender he fought, Golota gave him one of the worst beatings I can recall twice in what should be his traditional prime.

Prime Tyson and Lewis were the only guys who attempted and can be said to have cleaned up the division. Holy was nobody until he beat a mentally shot Tyson, and with the ear biting incident he becomes a legend. Had he never fought Tyson who had become a club fighter by then, nobody would remember him.

Not saying Haye is in Holy class, but the heavy division has changed style, the fighters much larger and using their weight better. Yes, it's boring at times, but no quick guys are showing up to exploit the style because it's become a huge gauntlet of giants that is harder than ever to negotiate.......cheers....bubbly..

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posted Oct 8, 2008

"Holy was nobody until he beat a mentally shot Tyson"

A nobody who proved himself the best cruiser of all time and who went on to become a two-time heavyweight champ pre-Tyson fight. After beating Tyson (Holyfield physically past his prime at this point) he has a three year reign as WBA champ picking up the IBF title along the way and after the Lewis loss goes on to become the only four time heavyweight champ ever. Not bad for a myth me thinks. cheers

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posted Oct 8, 2008

Think Londonringrules has a point re current heavyweights. Though it can look clumsy and plodding at times the size and strength of the current heavyweights make them very awkward to deal with.

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posted Oct 8, 2008

RedJames08 is right. The promoters know it, and I think the TV sales show it. The heavy weight division is without a boxer(s) who transend the sport partly down to personalities, and partly down to ability.

I think the skilled fighters in the weights just below, must be tempted by the potential money and glory whilst the opportunity of a weak division is there. I think Haye may be the 1st of many and hope / expect him to do well.

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comment by mikeck (U9478621)

posted Oct 10, 2008

David Haye could very well suprise all the doubters, I have no doubt he'll be very successful in the heavyweight division.

He's looking bigger and meaner than he did at cruiserweight, and I train with someone who knows Haye and his team very well, and they're very confident he can do well at this level, so I have faith he'll do us proud.

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