David Haye- wasted talent?

[Master]

Former Champion at 2 weights, made a a good bit of money wasted talent maybe,! but still
he was WBA HW Champion so all in all he did not do to bad did he.

True but then he sold his soul against Audley debacle and Wlad effort. Chisora fight was a side show.

[Sheffield-S5(ENG)]

I personally disagree on the David Haye subject. Yeah hes had his bad moments by making the wrong decision at the wrong time, but there was a time (and u never know there maybe a time) when made a decision and delivered 100%. Hes a man thats been there and done it, he first retired just at the right moment in his career. On top of his game and become a legend, then the wrong decision's started to be made. He had nothing more to prove, but what is the 1 thing we all men and women have to do when a time comes where at the top of our game and achieved the highest goals there is. Well after stepping aside we feel the need to not only prove ourselves to the world but to ourselves that we still have what it takes while in reality there's been the next up and comings more hungrier than ever. A place Haye once stood back in his prime, not for fame and glory but for respect, loyalty and honour fighting for his country.

[Beanflicker]

He had a good run, champion in two weight classes, but yeah it's a shame we didn't get to see more of him. He was a fantastic talent, quick agile HW with huge power in both hands, very exciting style and personality for the HW division but I guess his heart wasn't really in it anymore. Shame we didn't get to see him in more fights.

[Ron Swanson]

I know this is a UK message board but come on people. No matter what the record book says Haye was not a heavyweight champion. There are multiple reasons Valuev wasn't the champion when Haye cherry picked him.

Haye did fine with his career. He did all he could and more. I say more because not only did he do all he could do but he tricked people into thinking he had greater ambitions. Tricked them repeatedly.

[Fenster]

UK message board? There's more USA posters here than Brits.

[Memphis]

I don't think so, he achieved pretty much all he could.


He could have won the IBF belt at cruiser but other than that not much else, his success at heavy was always going to be brief.


It shouldn't be a knock on him that he did all this inside 30 fights. Him being a prick for letting people down shouldn't come into it either.

[El Kabong]

Yes 100% Haye wasted time, talent, and money.


Haye lost to Odlanier Solis whom I suggested he fight to build up to a fight against Wladimir. By the way Solis just got beaten by Tony Thompson for the second time, this time he was stopped! The fight Haye fought vs Wladimir was dreadful. Wlad did what he wanted and David ran, flopped, and whined the entire fight and even AFTER the fight....my toe hurts

There were PLENTY of heavyweights Haye could have and should have fought. Before Audley Harrison was found out and after Lennox Lewis retired there was this whole renewed interest in the British Title....why not win that? Why not avenge the amateur defeat to Solis? Why not fight Tyson Fury...indeed Haye could beat Fury right now if he so wanted and the bank he'd make from that would be HUGE!


David Haye is a part timer, a showboater, and a flake.....I hope boxing is rid of him for good and he can take Steve Bunce's stupid ass with him!

[Fenster]

What's this about Haye's toe?

Is it on ITV? Is Eric in Barbados?

[Fenster]

Lyle, what are Wlad's top ten best victories?

[El Kabong]

Lyle, what are Wlad's top ten best victories?

Surely the one vs Haye is in the mix because it was a big fight, but come on the effort put forward by Haye was atrocious given the amount of shit he talked for FOUR YEARS. Also "best victories", how? Best as in biggest fights, most meaningful, best performances? I'm more than willing to list my take on them I just want to know how you want me to rate them.


David Haye annoyed me for YEARS as you well know, but I never doubted his skill level. He's a superb athlete, he just would rather do the talk show circuit than be in the ring and I think that's a shame especially for you British boxing fans because he could have been very good as a heavyweight had he stayed more active.

[Fenster]

Well Haye was clearly one of Wlad's best/famous wins so downplaying him doesn't do Wlad any favours.

If every fighter you best is "crap," how do you become "great?" You're just the least crap of a crap bunch.

[El Kabong]

Well Haye was clearly one of Wlad's best/famous wins so downplaying him doesn't do Wlad any favours.

If every fighter you best is "crap," how do you become "great?" You're just the least crap of a crap bunch.

Oh absolutely I understand and agree with that, and I've said that exact same thing about Floyd Mayweather Jr. and how he runs down his opponents. But I'm not saying David Haye is a crap fighter, I'm saying he had more talent than what he let boxing fans have. The fight vs Haye was a big one, certainly up there in terms of high profile wins for Wlad, but at that same time 4 years of "I'm taking the division by storm" 4 years of "I'm decapitating the brothers", 4 years of boasts and brags and to put out THAT effort vs Wlad come on, we all expected more, even as a Wlad fan I expected Haye to try to actually win pinkie toe be damned.

I'm not saying David Haye is a shit fighter the way I think Tyson Fury IS a shit fighter who is well managed. David Haye had all the tools to be maybe not the Greatest of his era, but certainly 2nd or 3rd after Vitali's retirement. I'm not sure how Haye would handle Wilder or Jennings or Joshua and maybe that's part of the problem, but I think he could hold his own with plenty of others. Maybe Haye didn't have that belief in himself, or maybe he didn't have the drive to prove that to his fans, I don't know. I just think he had a lot left to offer the sport and the fans of boxing and it's a shame he didn't.......and that's ME saying that and I have hated David Haye since forever! He was certainly talented, but I think just losing once and quitting like that it's very Prince Naseem of him.

[El Kabong]

Think about the division from 2008 to present day and the matchups that David Haye could have had: Vitali, rematch with Wlad, Alexander Povetkin, Tyson Fury, David Price, Anthony Joshua, rematch with Valuev, Hasim Rahman, Sam Peter, Odlanier Solis, Chagaev, Tarver, Jennings, Cunningham, Adamek, Arreola, Stiverne, Malik Scott, Manuel Charr, Fres Oquendo, Eddie Chambers, Mike Perez, Luis Ortiz....I mean these are just names off the top of my head and each and every one of them would sell in England and shit he'd only face real danger in a handful.

In the end he won A heavyweight belt, he lost the belt, he fought Chisora and he quit....it's Prince Naseem take 2

[ross]

Well Haye was clearly one of Wlad's best/famous wins so downplaying him doesn't do Wlad any favours.

If every fighter you best is "crap," how do you become "great?" You're just the least crap of a crap bunch.

Oh absolutely I understand and agree with that, and I've said that exact same thing about Floyd Mayweather Jr. and how he runs down his opponents. But I'm not saying David Haye is a crap fighter, I'm saying he had more talent than what he let boxing fans have. The fight vs Haye was a big one, certainly up there in terms of high profile wins for Wlad, but at that same time 4 years of "I'm taking the division by storm" 4 years of "I'm decapitating the brothers", 4 years of boasts and brags and to put out THAT effort vs Wlad come on, we all expected more, even as a Wlad fan I expected Haye to try to actually win pinkie toe be damned.

I'm not saying David Haye is a shit fighter the way I think Tyson Fury IS a shit fighter who is well managed. David Haye had all the tools to be maybe not the Greatest of his era, but certainly 2nd or 3rd after Vitali's retirement. I'm not sure how Haye would handle Wilder or Jennings or Joshua and maybe that's part of the problem, but I think he could hold his own with plenty of others. Maybe Haye didn't have that belief in himself, or maybe he didn't have the drive to prove that to his fans, I don't know. I just think he had a lot left to offer the sport and the fans of boxing and it's a shame he didn't.......and that's ME saying that and I have hated David Haye since forever! He was certainly talented, but I think just losing once and quitting like that it's very Prince Naseem of him.

Talk about setting your self up for a fall.

When Wlad loses his whole career is ruined

[smashup]

I can't see Haye ever fighting again, he made no mention of it on Saturday when co-hosting the Frampton fight and he did look rather chubby in the face too.

You can't knock a 2 weight Champion and Haye (nearly) always entertained and to do what he did in 30 fights is very impressive.

He simply hit a brick wall when it came to facing a Klitschko and bottled it no question.

Wlad and Vitali had it totally boxed off in the division and i think deep down he knew he'd never beat either brother and win a belt off them while they were still controlling the division so just thought whats the point in carrying on with these 2 around.

He can definitely look back and be pretty proud of what he achieved