Quote Originally Posted by Bilbo
Caught an interview with him this week. He says his next fight is lined up at heavyweight against a very highly top ten ranked opponent who when we hear the name we will think he's crazy for taking the fight?

The only person I can think of whose remotely scary in the heavyweight ranks aside from Kltschko is Sam Peter but he's got Maskaev so obviously not him.

So who is it? He won't reveal but I'm presuming he's going to be a big puncher.

My guesses are.

Lamon Brewster
Chris Areola
Alexander Dimitrenko
Oldanier Solis (rematch possibilites)
Shannon Briggs
Sergio Lyakhovich
Jameel McCline
Hasim Rahman

Anyone else think of any possibilites? It's obviously not a current world champ and those are the big punchers and dangerous men who I can think of.

Other guys (Tony Thompson for example) arn't well enough known for us to think 'Ahh can't believe he's fighting him' so guessing one of the names above.

But who is it? I really want to know. :P
When reading your opening paragraph, I was immediately thinking of Thompson. He is both good enough to be considered "a crazy career move", and unknown enough to be an actual possibility. I dont understand your concern about him 'not being known enough' - the Haye camp should easily be able to sell a 31-1 opponent, unbeaten for 8 years and WBO mandatory as a hell of an opponent. And anyone in the know will agree to this an talk up this fight, even if Thompson is not exactly a ppv-star yet.

Besides Thompson, you have basically listed every top 10-ranked opponent out there. Exceptions are Virchis (who would make for a good opponent) and McCall as already mentioned in this thread. Why have no-one mentioned Juan Carlos Gomez? He would be tough, is easily more prominent than Solis and furthermore he is both hungry and likely to travel.

Other names (see here http://www.fightnews.com/rankings2.htm)

Kali Meehan & Taras Bidenko - ranked WBA 4 and 5 respectively, and could therefore be sold as credible opponents. Haye would hardly be crazy to take these fights, but a fighter hyping his fights is not exactly new.

Michael Moorer (!) - WBA nr. 6 (!). Why not? He's still a name, isn't he? Former linear Heavyweight Champion of the World and all that. And perhaps in it for one last big pay day.

Andrew Golota (!) - WBC 10. If ever there was opponent where the word 'crazy' was sure to be mentioned in the build up to the fight...

And (as mentioned by killersheep): John Ruiz. I simply cannot by any means fathom this as a likely fight to pursue seen from Haye's perspective. As stupid a career move as they come... So it must be him then