I don't think I've ever hidden that I am not a fan of David Haye. And it's mostly his trash-talking that I don't like. I hear and understand the counter-argument, that he does most of it in order to whip up interest for his fights, in what is a somewhat moribund heavyweight division that no-one cares about (although, I swear that if the Klitschkos where American, the US boxing press would be all over them), but I just find it odd that he chooses to play the role of the fighter the audience want to see knocked out when he's the (much) smaller man in his heavyweight fights.
Like Haye vs Valuev, Haye was 6 ft 3, weighed in at 15 st 8 lbs (190.5 cm and 98.9 kg) while Valuev was 7 ft 2 and 22 st 8lbs (218.4 cm and 143.3 kg)*, and against Wladimir Klitschko, Haye came in at 6 ft 3 and 15 st 3 lbs (190.5 cm and 96 kg) versus Klitschko's 6 ft 6 and 17 st 5 lb (198 cm and 110 kg)**. You could have sold the heck out of those as tiny British David versus hulking Soviet*** Goliaths.
Against Tyson Fury (height 6 ft 9, weight at last fight 18 st 2 lb / 216 cm, 115.2 kg), Haye would be giving up ~ 6 inches in height, about 2 stone in weight and 7 inches in reach. And it's not like Fury is Prince Charming****, so again why it Haye playing the antagonist?
Haye is not Money Mayweather. The reason that Mayweather has to be the bad guy is because he is that much better than everyone else in the division. Mayweather being the bad guy gives people a reason to watch his next match, because while, logically, we know that the next schmuck stands the same tiny chance of victory as the last schmuck, maybe, just maybe this will be the guy that shuts Mayweather up. That's how Mayweather makes his money.
Haye isn't the best guy in the division, he isn't unstoppable, so I don't see why he's going down that route, unless it's that he's incapable of being polite for 10 minutes in front of camera.
All that being said, if Haye can get to the end of the twelfth, I suspect he'll win the fight just because he is a better boxer, technically, than Fury.
* source
** source
*** yes, I know.
**** Fury does have the advantage of occasionally being on free tv being the lovely, supportive older cousin to Hughie Fury.
Like Haye vs Valuev, Haye was 6 ft 3, weighed in at 15 st 8 lbs (190.5 cm and 98.9 kg) while Valuev was 7 ft 2 and 22 st 8lbs (218.4 cm and 143.3 kg)*, and against Wladimir Klitschko, Haye came in at 6 ft 3 and 15 st 3 lbs (190.5 cm and 96 kg) versus Klitschko's 6 ft 6 and 17 st 5 lb (198 cm and 110 kg)**. You could have sold the heck out of those as tiny British David versus hulking Soviet*** Goliaths.
Against Tyson Fury (height 6 ft 9, weight at last fight 18 st 2 lb / 216 cm, 115.2 kg), Haye would be giving up ~ 6 inches in height, about 2 stone in weight and 7 inches in reach. And it's not like Fury is Prince Charming****, so again why it Haye playing the antagonist?
Haye is not Money Mayweather. The reason that Mayweather has to be the bad guy is because he is that much better than everyone else in the division. Mayweather being the bad guy gives people a reason to watch his next match, because while, logically, we know that the next schmuck stands the same tiny chance of victory as the last schmuck, maybe, just maybe this will be the guy that shuts Mayweather up. That's how Mayweather makes his money.
Haye isn't the best guy in the division, he isn't unstoppable, so I don't see why he's going down that route, unless it's that he's incapable of being polite for 10 minutes in front of camera.
All that being said, if Haye can get to the end of the twelfth, I suspect he'll win the fight just because he is a better boxer, technically, than Fury.
* source
** source
*** yes, I know.
**** Fury does have the advantage of occasionally being on free tv being the lovely, supportive older cousin to Hughie Fury.
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