David Haye has the intangibles of a great champion

Huge appeal like Lewis?

Look, Lewis was a great boxer and champion, but for the most part was disliked here in the States as a boring fighter who would rather be playing chess.

That's not how I viewed him, but was the general view.

Haye is not the savior of anything, he's looked at as bit of a joke hoping for payday here in the States.

You simply can't save anything have two announced fights and running away. Save the excuse why he ran, nobody here really cares.

All Haye has shown so far is a mouth, and while that attracts some people, it turns off many others.

 

Honestly, after seeing how easy very slow, fighting unnaturarly for him ruiz was able to get to Haye's chin i wouldnt bet on David versus Majority of top 10 heavys. So i really doubt his "saving" ability. Even tho i like him would root for him against klits and wish all the best.

 

WAR HAYE
:boxer

 

here come the Klit boys to claim their fighters are just as exciting and charismatic as Haye nutlol:

 

Lewis had no appeal because he was an ex brit canadian american nobody knows what he was but as far as I am concerned he never felt like a brit to me.

 

I dont think you are understanding the OP point. He probably wont beat Wlad and Vitali and he isnt as good as Holyfield or Lewis, but he knocks people out, knows how to make people laugh and catch the headlines, good looking and his native tongue is English. He loves doing the celebrity circuit and has all the characteristics of every boxer that has transcended the sport of boxing. Alot of world boxing fans dont like him, but boxing fans knowing you doesnt transcend the sport, that is being in the sport.
If Haye beats Wlad and Vitali he has the potential to be known by everyone in the world, not just sport fans and not just boxing fans, EVERYONE... Like he is the UK atm.
I think he has a potential aswell... Its a long shot that he will beat the Klits though, unfortunately.

 

I agree, I think he has the potential for superstar status. But he has two very imposing, rather dangerous titans in his way...

I think Haye needs to cut some of his weight, he looked a bit too bulky for the Ruiz match. Maybe around the weight he was for Valuev would be ideal. He needs to work on stamina, defence, and general polishing of technique, but the foundation is there. He particularly needs to settle down when he has someone hurt -- which, to be fair, he has admitted himself -- and avoid smothering his own work or getting too sloppy.

The thing is, I believe he has more than just a punchers chance against Wlad. I think people are underestimating him due to his recent sloppiness in the Ruiz fight. When Haye is at his best, he's actually quite sharp -- in the opening round, before he got tired, he was showing some pretty good movement. I remember Ruiz throwing around four punches, and Haye swayed/weaved away from all of them with his head movement, before pivoting away from the ropes and circling again. Then he used a wonderful 1-2, with very crisp form, such a clean knockdown. Which brings me to another point...Haye's power SOUNDS different from nearly everyone else. I remember people used to say that about Tyson, and I think Haye's punches sound different too -- that first KD, for example. It sounded like gunshots, and Ruiz certainly went down as if he'd been hit by a bullet, just collapsed. It's Haye's speed that makes the crucial difference in his power -- when he hits people it really does seem as if they're getting busted open, bit by bit. Even Valuev's legs betrayed him in the final round of their match.

Haye's dependence on his reflexes and head movement rather than guard is obviously a very dangerous strategy, but I actually think it would be good for Wlad. Wlad's main weapon is that jab, and even if you block it, it would push you back, offset your rhythm or hurt you through the gloves. Haye, on the other hand, relies on jerking away/around jabs with his head movement, and using that split-second to explode into a counter-right. Just look at the Macca fight for the perfect example of this. An incoming jab is ideal for Haye to set up his best punch. You have to wonder how Wlad would take that right hand counter, too...

First Haye has to brush up, though. A lot of work to be done before he can win, and so it's probably a good thing that the fight fell through before. He needs more training and experience.

 

If Haye knock out Valuev, Wlad and Vitalia then he is in strong top 5 HW ATG

 

Say what you want - but he's the only one bring any type of excitement to the Heavyweight Division - which means he's the only one - as of right now - that's able to save that stinky ass Division.

Go Haye. If he can beat either one of the Klits - it would be a great day for Boxing and the Heavyweight Division. The sport thrives when we have an exciting Heavyweight Champ.

 

Did you just say "In the opening round before he got tired"??? You think there are some stamina issues there??

 

Haye can act like an ass, and he fled from both Klitschkos, but he's great for the sport and the HW division.

 

I don't think anyone has or will claim that...Haye can be and is usually exciting and he is charismatic in an incredibly juvenile and often annoying sort of way. However, he simply isn't good enough to beat either Klitschko. End of story.

 

Most of the excitement has been out of the ring and it has been associated with the Klitschkos. You take them away and Haye is just a title holder who beat up three old men who were well past their past. Now, he's good. But he's got to get out of the WBA circle jerk for anyone outside of the UK to take him seriously.

 

David Haye is wonderful for Boxing. He comes out he's honest about everything. He holds his hands up that he doesn't have the best chin in the world, and he wasn't trying to past the Ruiz performance as the second coming of Muhammad Ali vs Cleveland Williams. He knows who he is, and he's honest about it to the media. I have great respect for him as a man and as a fighter, the only real British fighter I've been a genuine fan of. We need more characters like him in the game.