David Haye Interview

Good interview with David Haye on British Boxing . Net. Looks like the rights for showing the fight live in the UK still not sold and as far as haye knows the fight is not going to be shown. i wouldn't be suprised if DK is demanding stupid money from sky and it won't get shown over here. PArts of the interview copied below...

Londoner David Haye has been a frequent feature in the news-stands of late, as coverage of his world title fight with Jean-Marc Mormeck (Paris, November 10th) escalates. As the Americans await their introduction to the Hayemaker (the fight is to be shown live in the US), the fast punching cruiserweight spoke exclusively to BritishBoxing.net from his base in Cyprus about his life in boxing, what takes he does when he's not fighting and of course, the next and biggest fight of his life.

Since returning from his brief trip to the UK, the Frank Maloney-promoted fighter has settled back into training as if he had never been away, "I'm training in Kyrenia, North Cyprus, in a little town called Uzankoy. I train twice a day, six days a week. I was only back [in the UK] for eight days. There is only two hours time difference between the UK and Cyprus, so it didn't affect me."

Don King holds the rights to sell the fight and at this stage there is still no word on whether the Mormeck fight will be broadcast in the UK, "It has nothing to do with me whether King sells the right to the UK. At present it is not getting shown, but this is out of my control so not a concern of mine." Haye certainly won't feel like an island on the night, "I know a lot of my fans will be travelling to Paris as tickets have just gone on sale."

And what can the fans attending the Stade Marcel Cerdan expect to see? "If I'm on point, healthy and in the zone, I can knock any fighter out within three rounds," said Haye confidently, "Mormeck is no exception, he'll get the same treatment as everyone else."

Along with Haye in Cyprus is long term coach Adam Booth, the two have an excellent relationship, "I've been working with Adam from the age of about 17, He understands boxing nine times out of ten, the same as me. We have both learned and grown together in both the business and training side of boxing. He is the only person I could 100% trust with my life, and it's very rare to find someone like that in this scum-filled sport."

Haye began refining his own technique at the age of three, when a punch bag he was given would go on to form his earliest boxing memory. It was a few years before he would walk into his first boxing gym, "Fighting was a big part of my life at an early age, fighting in school, after school, on weekends and anytime I could fight someone to fight me back. At 10 years old I walked into the Fitzroy Lodge ABC gym... I could always find a tough fight in there."

As someone who enjoyed tough fights, perhaps it's no surprise that Nigel Benn was a role model for the Bermondsey youngster, indeed the Dark Destroyer's fight with American Gerald McClellan rates as Haye's best fight in memory.

"My first boxing hero was Nigel Benn, I loved his all out aggressive style, then I started loving the showmanship and power punching of Naseem Hamed. Then I started sending off for US tapes and found Roy Jones Jr, he seemed super human, with reflexes like a cat and skills that were missing from boxing for many years."

I asked the 6 ft 3 inch fighter who turned 27 last week whether he had learnt much from sparring more experience professionals in his early career. "No one really stands out, as I've never been in the ring with someone who had more skills or speed then me. They may have been fitter, stronger of heavier, but I can always easily work on those things on my own. I did most of my learning in fights during the amateurs and some pro fights."

David, whose record boasts 19 wins with an astonishing 18 knockouts from 20 bouts, suffered his sole reversal in his eleventh fight, at the hands of veteran Carl Thompson who names as his toughest opponent, "for obvious reasons". The defeat marked a change in attitude for Haye, as he explains "I don't know that boy that fought Thompson anymore, I can't even remember what my focus was like that night. All I remember is, it wasn't what it needed to be."

In his last outing proved his focus during a short initial foray into the heavyweight division to which he seems destined, Haye managed to destroy respected Thomas Bonin in a round. The Pole was ranked in the world's top 15 by the WBC and it was a risky move for the Londoner, aware that a loss would crush his dreams for the cruiserweight belt, but the risk paid off handsomely. If the Bonin fight was a metaphorical dipping of his toe into water, it is safe to say the water is more than ready for the rest of him!

It was mission accomplished for the Hayemaker, "I feel it went to plan, I wanted to whet everyone's appetite. I love everything about heavyweight boxing, I always have done, and I can't weight to get this next cruiserweight fight out of the way, so I can fight at my natural weight.”

Rating Ricky Hatton and Joan Guzman as the best fighters domestically and internationally, it's heavyweight Vladimir Klitchko who would make a dream opponent for Haye, "He is regarded as the best heavyweight in the world, he has the position I will be aiming for after I beat Mormeck." What about the fighters on the British heavyweight scene? "I have never really paid to much attention to it, as I know our paths will never cross."

The former Versace model considers his strengths "being able to read a fight, always having faster hands and punching harder then my opponents". He enjoys the fact that being a boxer means "having your destiny solely in your own hands."

With training in mind, Haye named the best thing as when "you can see your body changing for the better, it's like making an investment in the well being of your body and soul". With his typical brand of honesty with humour, David also told us the negatives. "I don't ejaculate for six weeks before a fight, for the first month it gets very frustrating, but is all worth the sacrifice ‘come' fight night…..excuse the pun!”

With which boxers does Haye get on particularly well? "I have never met a boxer that I didn't get on with, all boxers are gentleman, even the ones who play on a bad boy image e.g. Ricardo Mayorga, when I'm one on one with them. They are great guys."

I asked Haye, who plumps for York Hall as his favourite venue, which young up and comer will be following him up the boxing ladder of fame and he responded with his tip, "Adrian Diaconu, he's the future of the light heavy division."

In terms of other sports which he might watch, Haye tells me he is a fan of MMA, "I like MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), as you often see very competitive fights. I like watching [ex-boxer] James Zikic fight, as he always brings a great entertaining fight."

So what would we find in the Hayemaker's music collection? "At home I listen to old soul, in the gym I listen to Reggaeton, in the car I listen to Reggae and I like to party to Hip-Hop and R'n'B."

Signing off, David has one last message for his fans heading off to Paris to cheer him to victory, "Strap in - it's going to be a WAR!"