Usually when Haye is mentioned for concideration for HOF or ATG, the backers will exaggerate his accomplishments. Undisputed Cruiser champion, first since Holyfield. No, he wasn't, he was unified (WBA/WBC/WBO, Ring) and the consensus #1 for a brief time, for winning 2 titlefights. He did what Bell had done almost 2 years earlier, who had even more claim at "undisputed", but also not quite with the WBA/WBC/IBF/Ring belts (same as Holy). But the WBO already was a major belt by then. Dominated Cruiser. Again no. He hardly had any titlefights and moved up to HW pretty quickly. Either you have him going 2-0, 2KO's in titlefights or 2-1, 2KO's if you count the IBO strap. And although he won almost all his bigger fights by TKO, he got buzzed and dropped in quite a few of them, resulting in the whole bogus "copyright claim" takedown of all the videos he looked bad in on youtube. Not much dominating going on there. The first to wobble the giant (Valuev) winning the WBA title, and it being the only way to fight him with that size difference. Valuev had been wobbled before, and had been beaten before in more eye pleasing manner and in come forward style. That WBA strap that was on the line in the fight was as paper as they come, as Valuev had lost it to Chagaev, but the WBA just handed him another while Chagaev still had and defended his up until a week for the Klitschko fight. In his HW run he had 2 good results. Edging out Valuev and stopping Chisora in a war. At Cruiserweight he stopped Fragomeni, Mormeck in a war and Enzo Mac... That's his legacy, and it's pretty good. But not remotely near consideration for being called great.
Mostly agree. Good enough to be a British great but not ATG. One of the best cruiserweights of all time but it’s a young division.
On an heavyweight H2H list, he's top 15 all time. In terms of an ATG list, he'd be top 25 probably, maybe lower. He doesn't have an outstanding resume. But he is one helluva fighter!
Really? That version of Ruiz hadn't really been relevant the last 5 years with only a decent decision win over a completely past it McCline in that period. Ruiz was done, and Haye fought on the backfoot for large portions of the fight anyway. Blatantly rabbitpunching him troughout the fight. That was not a good showing at all in my book.
An ATG Crusierweight because he beat everyone there was to beat, what more do you have to do? An ATG heavyweight? Hell no and it's weird really because most ATG crusierweights become highly successful heavyweight, but Haye didn't do much to be remembered in heavyweight, his heavyweight career seemed to be mainly about making money, his crusierweight career was about creating legacy, you can see why because there is a hell of a lot of money to be made at heavyweight especially when you're an undisputed crusieeweight moving up
I like Haye but never an ATG. You could argue that he’s not even the best British cruiserweight as his 2-0 world championship record at the weight compares poorly to Johnny Nelson’s 14-1-1. Going by H2H you’d say yes but by resume it’s a no. Also hurts Haye that he never avenged a defeat during his career.
