It’s been a while since I’ve done an article, but with the recent Wladimir Klitschko- David Haye developments, it had to be done. On Monday, Klitschko, The Ring heavyweight champion, and WBO, IBF and IBO belt holder issued a stern challenge to former unified cruiser champ and current WBA heavyweight belt wearer David Haye via multi-internet boxing websites.
Wladimir, 54-3, 46 KO’s has apparently seen the light. After enduring last summer’s tasteless tirades/charades from Haye, 24-1, 22 KO’s during the media tour for their supposed showdown at Veltins arena, only for the Brit to pull out, it looks like Klitschko has called the big-talking Haye’s bluff.
Figuring Haye’s reputation for shit-stirring babble, the boxing world couldn’t wait for his reply. And Tuesday we got one, except it came from Haye’s trainer/manager Adam Booth instead, and what he had to say was unacceptable. Booth completely ignored Wladimir’s challenge by suggesting, “the brother’s (Wlad and WBC champ Vitali) scrap it out first. It can be in their back garden for all I care. The winner can fight David. If they don’t want to have a scrap, maybe one brother can give the other his belt so David can unify this mess in one punch.”
After avoiding Wladimir’s challenge with that nonsensical puff, Booth added the ultimate insult not only to Wlad, but to the entire boxing world when he stated, “The last talk we had with the Klitschko brothers was regarding Vitali because the WBC and the WBA are the two major titles as far as we’re concerned. Vitali holds the most significant belt in our eyes.”
Haye meanwhile, said he was aware of Klitschko’s challenge but stated, “I’m relaxing and enjoying my victory (TKO 9 over John Ruiz). Adam is meeting their people on Thursday, so there’s nothing more to say.”
Adam Booth, and more importantly, David Haye are scared to death of facing a prime Wladimir. Even their initial face-to-face meeting when Haye accosted the champion in public, was a farce. Although it’s the biggest fight the heavyweight division has to offer, Klitschko’s trainer Emanuel Steward has for the longest time doubted the reality of the it becoming a sealed deal, and now all of his doubts seem justified. “Haye will never step in the ring with Wladimir. He’s gonna play the WBA game.”
That means Haye knew what he was getting into all along when he dropped out of fights with both brothers and signed to fight then WBA titlist Nicolay Valuev. He knew if he won, which he did in dreadfully boring fashion, he’d have the option of taking fights with 2nd and 3rd tier guys like John Ruiz, Ruslan Chagaev, Kali Meehan, or even a rematch with Valuev, instead of facing either brother.
After all of Haye’s talk of “cleaning up the disgraceful state of the heavyweights”, and more pointedly, “the clean-up job begins with Wladimir Klitschko”, it looks like he flat out punked out, again—on Wladimir. The option of taking on the soon-to-be 39-year old Vitali first just shows how unsure of themselves Haye and Booth truly are against a prime Wlad. And, the fact is, directly after unifying the cruiserweight crown, Haye called out Wladimir first. Go back and watch the Haye-Maccaranelli post-fight interview for yourselves. It’s all there. So this nonsense about fighting Vitali instead of Wlad is only another smoke and mirrors move we’ve come to know very well out of camp Haye. For what it’s worth, I doubt Team Haye will even honestly pursue the fight with Vitali. After all, if Vitali flattens Davey first, and I think he would, a meeting with Wladimir wouldn’t have the same significance.
Not only do I think Davey Haye and Adam Booth are attempting to fake the boxing world out, but they’ve been bullshitting us all along since Haye moved up to the heavyweight division. Look at his accomplishments. Do they carry the merit to go along with boasts like “I’m doing this (challenging Wladimir, the 1st time) for all the past greats like Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis.” Not even close.
Haye has become so adept at lying to himself it beckons Phloyd Mayweather Jr. comparisons. They’re both self-absorbed; they’re both constant and shameless antagonists of handpicked opponents, and right now, in 2010, they’re both ducking fighters that actually have a chance of defeating them. They’re giving up the chance to fight and perhaps defeat guys who’re more popular than them, and they want 50/50 purse splits (or worse in Mayweather’s case). The comparisons go further, but to do so here would only nauseate me, and perhaps the rest of you full on.
To give credit where it’s due, Mayweather has to deal with “Sugar” Shane Mosley and that’s no easy feat. BIG UPS to Mayweather for taking that fight, because in my mind, he LOSES to the older Mosley; the hungrier man. What will Davey do this time, now that his bluff has been called for the 3rd time? Once again, in speaking with Emanuel Steward, in truth, the fight could be made tomorrow if Haye really wanted it. “Both Wladimir and David are coming off of mandatory defenses. This means they both are allowed a voluntary defense, and in special cases, like a unification fight, they (the alphabet organizations) will allow champion to meet champion. But I still don’t think Haye will do it, even though he’s free to do so.”
Word has it we’ll find out Thursday exactly what Haye’s plan of action will be, but so far, all the evidence points exactly to what Emanuel said earlier: “He’s gonna play the WBA game.” And that game doesn’t include a fight with either Klitschko brother, especially the TRUE Heavyweight Champion, Wladimir.