Can a case be made for David Haye as and ATG?

He definitely dared to be great. Moved up to heavy, won a world title (weak opponent but still) in his second fight at the weight. Ruiz was his mandatory so you have to excuse him that. One fight later he’s fighting Klitschko. Had he won that he’d have immediately been into a rematch with him. If he’d won that we’d still be talking about him in the same breath as Fury and Joshua, probably even more so.

 

…….at doing what?

 

haye - extremely talented in prime, always in shape, superb movement, big power, can sell a fight

Haye also- stopped loving boxing after Enzo, wanted out but needed to move to heavy to get the paydays for his disastrous Dubai investments. I genuinely think he didn’t really care up at heavy, just look at the guys he fought.

 

He only had six fights at heavy before his career was over. Four of them were Barrett (fair enough warm up at the weight), Valuev (a world champion, a poor world champion, but in an era where Ibragimov, Chagaev, Briggs, Liakhovich and Maskaev were world champions just another poor world champion in an average era), Ruiz (a mandatory) and Klitschko who was the best in the world at the time.

I mean, looking at the guys he fought, fights number 2 and 5 were world champions and 3 was his mandatory. Put it like this, if Usyk fought Joshua or Fury, plus a Pulev type mandatory, plus Chisora and had one total gimme in his next four fights, would you say 'he genuinely didn't care, look at who he fought?'

 

Haye is an all time great!


Only one man legitimately beat Haye: Carl Thompson

 

If he had stayed at cruiser weight and fully unified and defended against the likes of huck, lebedev, Cunningham at the time and got out unscathed before the likes of gassiev and usyk turned up then yes I’d put him up there as an atg

He chased the money in the end which is no surprise, lost a lot of momentum in those four years between the chisora win and fighting Bellew. Can anyone remember what he was doing between 2012-2016???

 

To be fair to Haye, he was very susceptible to injuries and his body started breaking down when he otherwise would have been smack bang in the middle of his prime. That element was out of his control.

Some fighters (and athletes in general) have that issue. Take Michael Owen in football for example; a guy who once had the most lethal acceleration in British football was scared to sprint in the second half of his career.

Haye was an explosive, fast-twitch fighter and it must have preyed on his mind in his later fights as the injuries piled up.

 

Did you see the Toe in full flow in the Imtech Arena July 2011?

What a warrior running a full 12 rounds with bruised toe.

 

Haye retired for a good few years before coming back to knock over a couple of nobodies and earn a few quid.

As for cruiser, he was British, European, WBC, WBA, WBO and Ring champion. Nobody cared about him fighting Steve Cunningham probably including Steve Cunningham. People wanted him against heavyweights and he obliged.

Didn't work out of course ultimately, but I don't see how people can suggest he didn't have a go when he went to heavyweight and went after Klitschko so quickly. Definitely a bit of agenda there.

 

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Toe Haye looking back on his legacy up in smoke

 

The toe situation really did Haye’s reputation in, it was pathetic. But he did kind of redeem himself in the sense he showed great heart fighting with one leg against Bellend. Problem is that didn’t really raise him to ATG status. His body just couldn’t keep up with that high intensity style it seems, he didn’t fight enough, and when he did get his chance he choked a bit against Wlad. If he won that fight then the conversation would be different, but he didn’t. He could probably have done better against Wlad as well, if his pinky didn’t fail him...

 

valuev- terrible but ok he was massive

Barrett- decked Haye and fell over the ropes coming into ring

Klitschko- he could’ve done better, I think Klitschko had him on the bouncy castle

Ruiz- probably best performance

chisora- visibly gassed then chin checked chisora. Good win.

audley- money grab.

going to heavy was always about the money. After he ko’d chisora he could have had vitali. But he made his money and retired

 

I fully agree.


That was a PROPER performance from Haye, in a hostile country and suffering in severe pain.

 

Injuries ****ed him. Even when he returned it was clear it was a money grab. I still thought he’d beat Bellew though.
Had reconstruction surgery on his right shoulder, also had 3 other operations on it. Was told by top doctors to never fight again.
Had spinal surgery, to the point he actually lost an inch in height. Had to fuse something together, **** knows what. This was all before the return against Bellew. Then obviously his Achilles and bicep tendon after that.

Him and Booth wanted a retire at 30 plan. Knew Hayes fighting style wouldn’t suit him later in his career (fast movements)
Niggling injuries ducked that plan and the loss to Klitschko. Think the Haye camp knew they could have genuinely beaten Klitschko but tactics by the Haye camp, and the dirty tactics by the Klitschkos cost it. (See the Fury camp not making the same mistakes)

Beat Chisora. But looked poor in sparring (apparently)
Signed the Fury fight, and Booth was never happy. Apparently sparring partners Haye once used to be able to beat up where now getting the better of him. More niggling injuries. And he got ‘cut’ in sparring.
Booth was never in it at that point forward and he pulled out of Fury again cause this time he was actually done. Reconstruction of his shoulder.

Some seriously bad investments, and a divorce with his wife later, he had no option but to try and cash out one last time. And almost got the AJ fight but got beat by Bellew (AJ deal was all but signed)

David will also probably never walk properly again. Wouldn’t suprise me to see him seriously walking badly in later life. He really ****ed his Achilles coming bsck for the second fight.

His defining fight was the Klitschko one. We’d have never seen him in a ring again had he won that night *In which case he’d have been considered an ATG

* May have seen him late on again for financial reasons

 

No. Top fighter but not ATG.