Wlad VS Haye ?

"Wlad pulled out to fight Chagaev" ? Uh, it was Haye who came with a vague, changing excuse from rib to back injury, who pulled out of the Wlad fight. Only AFTER Haye pulled out, Wlad went for Chagaev.


Fighting Valuev is a sensible option for Haye. He's very likely to pick up the WBA belt (which should've belonged to Wlad now), giving him more leverage and money demands when he fights Klitschko. Basically, it's a relatively easy win of a title belt. Plus, "David vs Goliath" sounds well.

 

Okay, I ****ed that one up. It was my understanding that Wlad opted to go after a unification, rather than fight Haye, but obviously I was misinformed. Anyway, I still hope that Haye eliminates Valuev from the picture. We need to consolidate the top 10 with the very best out there. Guys like Valuev, John Ruiz, Gomez and any others that are still clinging on need to be removed, and in their stead leave men like Haye, Chambers, povetkin, Areola, etc.

 

Haye sounds like a manipulative headcase. He's fooling no one ... Vitali would crush him .. With Wlad's chin you never know but who knows if we will ever see the fight ... I hope Valuev pulls a Carnera type smothering act and beats him. It would serve him right ..

 

I don't like Haye's attitude either. He's a mouth and is loaded with cockiness that is unwarranted for a man who has done virtually nothing at this weight class. Nevertheless, Haye beating Valuev would be good for the sport.

 

Agreed.. my guess is that after the Holyfield fight, Don King and Sauerland know that Valuev is a loss waiting to happen, and they better cash out as fast as they can. I'm surprised they didn't take the jackpot in either Klitschko, though, but Valuev himself has always made it clear he didn't want to fight Wlad.

 

Any chance of a unification fight against either Klitschko if Haye wins? No doubt Don King would have some kind of option on Haye, should he beat Valuev.

I'm not sure King would be so keen on a unification fight unless he can tie the winner to some kind of option/contract.

 

No chance, if king has anything to say about it. And he definately does. We'll see Holyfield or Ruiz or Golata even before a Klitschko bout happens. Just look at the WBA title fights the last decade and pick the names for potential Haye opponents.

 

It is al for the good.

Haye will separate the WBA belt from Valuev and then all four of the major belts will be in the hands of fighters who are genuinely interested in unification.

The fact that Haye will have the WBA belt will only make a futre Klitschko Haye unification bout bigger.

The only way we (the fans) can loose is if Valuev somehow finds a way to hold on to the belt.

 

There's a lot of blame to go around for all sides, and lots of politicking all over the place.

Haye has done nothing at heavyweight, talked himself into a fight with his mouth and by being an ass to Klitschko, then pulled out of with an injury that kept changing locations, and now has avoided fighting either Klitschko to take on Valuev, an easier target. While, as Chris Pontius astutely points out, having the WBA title may help give Haye some bargaining power and leverage, (not to mention that taking out Valuev is a service to the sport) it's hard to take Haye seriously or not to look down on that whole series of antics.

On the other hand, the Klits have certainly tried to put some pretty extreme requirements and punishments in their contracts with Haye. So there was definitely some brinksmanship being played there. And Wlad could have just moved the date for the fight, but then again he may have also thought it was a ploy by Haye to get into his head and take him off his game...

But really so far I put the lion's share of the blame on Haye. Haye got himself a fight based mostly on his mouth and trash talking. He has to put up or shut up.

 

This is what concerns me.

 

Ditto. The whole WBA is a sad joke at this point, and given how determined King seems to be to keep his claws in the sport, I wouldn't bet on that changing. Still, it'll be satisfying if Haye separates Valuev from his senses so we get one joke "champion" out of the title scene.

 

I myself have basically given up on the sport as a whole. Yes, there are some decent fighters and good matches being made in other divisions, but I don't boxing being revived to being anywhere near what it was in decades past.

 

Haye could make money and have better options with Don King than he could with the Klitschkos. Vitali/Wlad weren't giving Haye any money, he was only entitled to the Brit TV rights. When Don King gives you a better deal than someone, that someone is giving you a shitty deal, no other way to look at it. The 4 fight tie-in clause, where the Klits will probably be keeping a big part of his purse while he's fighting both brothers twice is a pill few would swallow

Haye is being smart, he gets an easier fight, makes more money and gets to fight the Klitschkos another day for more money. Good Business and Valuev is a good preperation opponent for the Klits, as is Ruiz if he has to fight him.

 

BTW if Setanta didn't go under Haye-Wlad would have happened, the only money Haye was due from the fight was directly from Setanta, but he wouldnt get paid with them going under so he didnt fight.

 

Haye has pulled off a double withdrawal. After talking the talk, he failed to walk the walk.

There was no contract issue. Haye felt good enough to sign the first one with Wlad.

Smart fans know Haye was going to lose badly to either Klitschko, so he picked the WBA champion in Valuev instead. Grrr, boxing needed Klitschko vs Haye. While it wasn't a mega fight, it was a mega event...at least in the blind eyes of Haye's supporters.

I'm not sure if Haye will ever fight the Klitschko's. If he wins the WBA title, he might have a mandatory next. Boring as that might sound, I think I'll root for Haye. Valuev has to go, and if Haye wins and eventually faces Klitschko, the legacy will be enhanced for the winner.