Boxing Profile: Can Herbie Hide Become A Force At Cruiserweight?

Those people who read the interview I conducted with Herbie Hide, “The Dancing Destroyer”, a few weeks back will already be aware of how intent the thirty-five year old is on “shaking up” the 200 pound division. As volatile and confident as ever, Hide made clear his immediate goal in his new weight class; cleaning up the British scene before eventually challenging for a major title at world level.

Still, Hide was never at a lack for words about certain heavyweights from the .UK either. Despite stating how he was never a real heavyweight, and is now ultra convinced he will be unbeatable as a cruiserweight, Hide could not resist issuing challenges to both Audley Harrison and Danny Williams – both of whom he appears to have an intense grudge against.

Such fights, however, have more or less no chance of coming off. And surely Herbie must recognise this. Therefore, putting such big talk down as just that, talk, the future for Hide lies at 200 pounds. But can Herbie become a major player there?

With domestic rivals David Haye, Enzo Maccarinelli and Mark Hobson established as contenders in the weight division, Hide wants to gatecrash the party and fight either one. Making it clear he has no respect for either one of the three boxers, Hide is desperate to get a fight deal as soon as he can.

What Herbie seemingly fails to realise is the fact that he simply has to earn such a high profile bout. He must remember that his last fight, an easy one round blow-out of club fighter Mitch Hicks, followed over two years of inactivity. Before this, he was seen losing on cuts to the unknown Lithuanian, Mendauga Kulikauskas, and before that, he was seen being KO’d in two rounds by the equally nondescript Zambian fighter, Joseph Chingangu.

In other words, Hide must work his way back into contention. To many fans, he has more than likely been forgotten. At thirty-five, however, he is not too old to be able to perhaps get one more chance at the top level.

Herbie was the WBO heavyweight champ, a title he actually won twice. And if the overwhelming reason for his three knockout losses, suffered while attempting to campaign amongst the giants, was simply the sheer size of his opponents, then maybe Hide has a point when he says he’ll be untouchable down a division.

His walking around weight was never higher than fourteen stone or so, therefore it was no wonder he was stopped by the likes of the gigantic Riddick Bowe and the equally massive Vitali Klitschko.

Both times, however, Herbie fought completely without fear. The question that springs to
my mind is, would any cruiserweight be able to manhandle “The Dancing Destroyer” in the same manner? I have to say, I don’t think so. Sure, it is more than possible that Herbie’s chin is a fragile one, one that will crack into pieces if any fighter, regardless of size, hits it square on. But it will certainly be fun to find out for definite.

Herbie was, and still is, a fighter incapable of being labeled a bore. Both in and out of the ring, he is a fighter who generates excitement. Either due to his inside the ropes action, where the fireworks are all but guaranteed whenever he boxes, or with his crazy verbal assaults outside of the four squares, there is a buzz when Herbie’s on the scene.

He is set to fight again, in America, where he is now based, on October 28th. Hopefully the
caliber of his opponent will be somewhat higher than the last one. If he can get some momentum going and possibly get a British promoter interested, Herbie may get a shot at someone like Maccarinelli, or Hobson. Or even against the winner of the Swaby-Keaton match.

A fight with David Haye looks unlikely though, as “The Hayemaker” is one win away from a fight with world ruler O’Neill Bell. Bell, by the way, is a fighter Herbie says couldn’t clean his toilet!

With all-out bravado like that, I think the cruiserweight division could do a hell of a lot worse than to see Herbie Hide featuring among its bigger names. Herbie can’t wait!