Boxer Haye made a bad British weekend good arriving on the heavyweight boxing stage
Last updated 11/17/2008 1:44:26 PM
www.hayemakerboxing.com
David "Hayemaker" Haye made a bad British weekend good when he announced his arrival on the heavyweight boxing stage with a stunning win over American journeyman Monte Barrett.
It wasn't looking good as the English rugby league team bowed out of the World Cup in Australia; tennis star Andy Murray ran out of steam in the Masters semi final in China; Rugby Union proved to be a triple disappointment as South Africa won in Scotland; New Zealand beat Ireland and England disappointed against the Australians at Twickenham.
But then up stepped the former WBC, WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion Haye at the O2 Arena, planting his experienced rival on his backside four times before referee Richie Davies stepped to end what had been a fan pleasing slugfest mid way through the fifth round.
Haye himself was dumped on his pants just before he finished off Barrett, recovering after being punched while he sat on the floor.
It may not have been a classic but Millwall football fan Haye showed the spark that had been missing from the heavyweight division for a while.
Haye is quick, carries a wallop in both fists and is happy to mix it with the big boys – and he will have to because those standing in front of him are Wladimir Klitschko , the WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight champion who stands four inches above Haye and two stone heavier.
Then there is his brother Vitali, the 37 year old WBC Champion who is five inches taller and two and a half stone heavier and then there is the third champion Nikolay Valuev who stands a ridiculous SEVEN feet tall and weighs in at almost TWENTY THREE stone.
All three would look on a Haye challenge favourably as this time he would sell out the O2 or a football ground like Stamford Bridge or Maybe the New Den completely and television on both sides of the Atlantic would be a given.
The elder Klitschko was at the ringside in southeast London to watch the impressive Haye and made it known that either he or his brother or even both would be up to fight the Bermondsey boy – although not at the same time one hopes!
Haye, however, may have to wait a little while as Wladimir faces Hasin Rahman in Germany next month and then must defend against the 2004 Olympic superheavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin. Brother Vitali boxes Cuban Juan Carlos Gomez, probably in March.
That, to my mind, is a good thing for Haye for it will give him the opportunity to have another fight or two at this weight to get used to the differences he admitted himself he felt in fighting Barrett, who has twice challenged for the world title.
Haye confessed: "I am nowhere near the finished article, but I am getting there and I will be the finished article in a couple of years and then I will be unstoppable."
It was also heavily rumoured that former British World Champion Lennox Lewis is in the gym preparing for a comeback at 43 for a return against the elder Klitschko brother as a matter of unfinished business after their controversial meeting when Lewis won on cuts with six tough rounds remaining.