That's a rediculous amount of negative spin you're trying to pull there by using his European fights against him. Fighting Mormeck in France and Valuev in Germany are about as away from home as you can get. It doesn't matter if it is in Europe, Haye travelled for those fights and was simply the away fighter. Something Ward is yet to really experience.
Don't talk about Haye "only" being CW champ when Ward hasn't even done that. Haye is going up against big men and gets credit for finally steping it up (God he's been annoying). I think Klit will knock him out handily but against Wlad he at least has a chance. Resumes are not close but why compare a relatively experienced fighter to a fighter who had his coming out party some mere two years ago? That's not fair and that's not p4p IMO. People either get the discussions mixed up or have some, for me, strange definitions of p4p. Well, criterias differ I guess... I think Ward is the better fighter, are currently ranked higher due to inactivity from Haye but are leapfrogged concerning resumes, understandably. I have a hard time being fairer than that.
My rebuff was not to the notion that Ward is equally well travelled (he's not), but to the thread starters assertion that Haye has won "many" of his fights on the road. Two road wins, both within the same time zone, doesn't fit my criteria of a road warrior.
Haye should not be on any legit P4P list. He should go fight some real opposition first. P4P **** talker, now that is a list he would be on.
Yes I do. I hope you realize (yes, it is spelled with a "z") that the distance from my home in southern California to where I went to school in northern California is further than travelling from London to Germany.
Exactly, once again - just like in the talk about Haye a champ in one division only - the double standards baffle me .Ward hasn' fought outisd of his own home state where he's got good treatment. Not getting dedcuted against Kessler, holding and hitting against the same and a wide win acored for him than called for against Bika. Ward has to travel AT LEAST outside his own home state, if not go to Britain or Canada. I don't think a lot of people outside Europe understand that a lot of people in Europe have more in common with America than they do with each other. I personally identify myself more with American culture than I do with South European or Eastern European culture. Fighting as a Brit in France or Germany is worse than fighting in other continents for my money. It was hostile in France vs Mormeck. Against Macca he was also tested more mentally than I fell Ward's been - a lot were cheering for Macca and the fight had this big fight atmosphere than can be nervy.
Time zones count for something but not everything. It's about doing it too - just the feeling of traveling outside your comfort zone with perhaps no family, usual routines, facilities, food etc. The we have the fight itself with different judges, someimes home referee, not your own promoter running the show, few if any fans, cheering for the other fighter whenever he throws, perhaps hostility towards you. That's no mean feat to overcome which is partly why very few do it. It's easy to get nervous and that may easily cramp your style. Boxing is a lot about confidence and being relaxed. It's true that Haye's not a road warrior - few is (Kessler, Johnson etc). But then again - who's claiming him to be? Don't build straw men. Of all the ridiculous and puerile hyperbole Haye spouts out - road warrior is as far as I know not one of them. He still has faced two champs (well, titlist in Valuev's case) in Germany and France and has had the odds against him. As I initially said; there's a lot more than just time zones.
His last three fights have been at home, so have Haye's. However, when Ward has travelled to Pachanga, or the Home Depot Center (site of the fight vs. AA), his trip is just as long as Haye's to Germany.
I was born in Europe, but I've lived in N.America for 3 years now. Travelling long distances within the US just does not have the same impact culturally as travelling long distances in Europe. It's simply not about absolute distance, no matter how much you want to try and spin it like that. England, France and Germany (and the rest of Europe), despite being close together have a couple of thousand years of history, most of it war. The divides in culture, language, heritage, etc.. are way greater than between states in the US. To cross one country's border in Europe will yield a greater change cultural than travelling anywhere within the US. For the record, it's awesome here, which is why I chose to move away from Europe. But culturally, the changes are far greater in Europe for any given distance than they are in the US.