HAYE was HATED for even THINKING about RAHMAN, but he's OK for WLAD

Well, at least Rock will get a nice payday to end his career. Anything can happen in a heavyweight fight but that "anything" would have to be him landing a right hand on Wladimir's jaw and that just ain't gonna happen. Wladimir's too good, too fast, his defense is top notch, and he'll be watching for that right hand. At this point, Rahman is too sloppy and uncoordinated to even get in position to land it. Could be a short night.

 

:good

Absolutly right. Wlad had to make his mandatory and Povetkin pulls out.

Now he wants to box the next high ranked available contender to make the mandatory and this is Hasim Rahman! The other guys have fights.

I hope it will be Rahman at 13th because i have tickets and this fight is good.

 

i like rahman but he hasn't beaten a legit hw in a few years (was it barret in early 06?). at least monte has beaten a fringe guy and we cannot question his motivation and commitment (unlike rahman). not a haye fan at all, but agreed there has to be a better sub out there. damn i wanted to see wlad/golota.

 

even before Rahman was picked, the people who went through the list of posible subs concluded that it would be Rahman. He was the best available choice.

I don't even like Wlad, but lets be real.

 

Here's the IBF rankings

1 Alexander Povetkin Russian Federation
2 NOT RATED
3 Alexander Dimitrenko Ukraine
4 Chris Arreola United States
5 Hasim Rahman United States
6 Oleg Maskaev Kazakhstan
7 Sultan Ibragimov United States
8 Eddie Chambers United States
9 Andrew Golota United States
10 James Toney United States
11 Kali Meehan Australia
12 Sinan Samil Sam Turkey
13 Travis Walker United States
14 Cedric Boswell United States
15 Shane Cameron New Zealand

Here's someone's explanation that should clear things up

 

At the end of the day Haye is fighting a washed up Monte Barret who got laid out by.........Cliff Couser, while Wladimir is fighting a replacement who beat Monte Barret.

 

The difference is fairly obvious. Klitscko had a credible opponent who pulled out and now has a venue lined up and needs an opponent who'll take a fight at 5 weeks notice. Other fighters might be saying they'd take the fight, but would they really fight the worlds top heavyweight with 5 weeks notice? They had to take who they could get.

David haye had 8 months to plan his heavyweight fight, talked a real big game, gate crashed a Wlad charity event, then starts throwing up names like Hasim Rahman and Monte Barrett and acting like he's fighting Joe Frazier circa 1970 or something.

 

I thought the hate Haye got for lining up Rahman was ridiculous. But to be fair to Wlad he has not picked Rahman as his choice of opponent, he chose to fight a young unbeaten prospect who many rate highly, but that guy got injured at the last minute.

Late replacements are rarely good, but what can he do? It is either take what is available or call of the fight.

 

Atleast Haye picked the opponent the fans wanted him to fight.
I can't see any neutral Boxing fan who wants to see Wladimir vs rahman

 

Rahman would have been a formidable opponent for Haye second heavyweight fight.

He's an okay replacement for Povetkin.

 

i thnk Barrett is a good first fight for Haye esp. after his impressive ko of Tye Fields.

 

and a fight with toney would be so much better, because...?
both are not the best opponents, but wlad had to take what was available. dimitrenko would get butchered and universum wouldn't let him fight anyway, arreola is too green and unknown, sauerland has no interest in losing the title, that valuev just won again. maskaev would have been interesting a couple of years ago, but now he is beyond washed up and looking for his last big payday.
toney is 8-9 inches shorter and has has 9 inches less reach. he doesn't have one punch ko power unlike rahman and was outboxed by sam peter for gods sake! it wouldn't be even remotely competitive, just a one sided beating and more brain damage for toney.