Haye vs Maskaev ??

[PRIDE OF BOSTON]

Who should he have fought first then?

He could have fought Ibragimov, Povetkin or someone with fresher legs. Oleg is so long in the tooth and injury prone. Even Eddie Chambers would have been fine. We don't know what is going to show up with Oleg, but it is a start I guess.

Povetkin has the Wlad fight lined up. They are not going to risk fighting Haye. Ibragimov was just in a total borefest - he's no better an opponent than Maskaev. Is Chambers in anyones top 10? He's not rated by The Ring.

Barring an actual "world" title challenge, any top 10 Ring ranked heavyweight (Maskaev is 7th) seems MORE than fair for Haye's foray into the plodders.

I'd have to agree... It's actually an admirable choice...

[Bomp]

IMO it's a decent first opponent, with a punch at least. He's not much lower down IMO than Sultan Eddie or Barret (heck probably above Barret). Hope he fights him soon so he can fit another win in by the end of the year, non of the heavyweights are active enough, though Wlad seems to be making an effort recently.

[OumaFan]

I think its solid matchmaking. The last thing you want to do with Haye first time out is put him in with somebody with a real good chin. Maskaev has taken some good shots but his chin has definitely been cracked a few times. He does have power and that should keep Haye wary but he should be way too slow for David.

[PRIDE OF BOSTON]

I think its solid matchmaking. The last thing you want to do with Haye first time out is put him in with somebody with a real good chin. Maskaev has taken some good shots but his chin has definitely been cracked a few times. He does have power and that should keep Haye wary but he should be way too slow for David.

SHOULD is the operative word... good analysis

[Bomp]

I think its solid matchmaking. The last thing you want to do with Haye first time out is put him in with somebody with a real good chin. Maskaev has taken some good shots but his chin has definitely been cracked a few times. He does have power and that should keep Haye wary but he should be way too slow for David.

The fights OK, he's just been mouthing off a bit too much recently. Anyway, Maskaev has a suspect chin, but all the guys who got to him were huge compared to Haye so it'll be a good barometer of how he's carried his power.

[JamieFo]

could this bring something new to the HW division? Often you get guys top weights fighting each other and gets good media/ pfp coverage. Why so different with heavyweights. ?

[boozeboxer]

Come on Big O. I know he is past it, but if he can smack down this guy I will be happy.

[Spicoli]

I think this would be a perfect fight for Hayes 'debut'.Haye has Hand speed/power & Mobility coming in and although Maskaev is aged & susceptible,Oleg remains willing & rugged,a serious one punch threat,and a recently deposed Heavyweight 'Champion' ,a little bit of getting a seat on the bus for Haye.....If he does not catch a wicked left hook for his trouble's.

[rjj tszyu]

Can I just point out 1 thing? The following are a list of heavyweights that if they were around today in their primes would rule the division easily, and all fought at their best at or below 220lb.

Mike Tyson.
Evander Holyfield.
Larry Holmes.
Muhammad Ali.
Joe Frazier.
Joe Louis.
"BIG" George Foreman.
Sonny Liston.

I'm not trying to say that David Haye is in this league (only time will tell on that) but I see a pattern emerging in people who discuss boxing these days that they believe a heavyweight has to be a 6'8 250lb giant or they will not be able to make it in the heavyweight division. Well this is one thing I totally disagree with and I think that this is part of the reason that the heavyweight division has been so poor just recently they are getting TOO big. I mean Joe Louis used to weigh in at around 200lb and smack 250lb fighters all over the place. And as for power I honestly think that the 2 hardest hitters of all time are in my list above in George Foreman and Mike Tyson in fact that list is only short of Earnie shavers from having probably the 5 hardest punchers ever with Frazier and Liston there too. I think that too many people are trying to copy a blueprint that Lennox left but he was a one off, a very big guy with very good boxing skills.

[CountryBoy]

Haye will knock out the Russian in the first round, Oleg is very gun shy with a suspect beard, With that said. That just presents Haye with more punch connects.

I would like to see him fight Peter's.

[Tysonbruno]

Wlad ain't that good won't be long before he is KO'd again

[Wayne]

Wlad ain't that good won't be long before he is KO'd again

By whom? And how? As much as I like him more than Wlad I still think Peter is the last best hope against Klitschko and I don't think his recent improvement is better than Wlad's. And I think because the HW division is so sparsely talented right now that we're all too ready to throw the best guy in the division in the garbage heap. I'm not saying he'd beat all-time greats, but Klitschko could definitely give every HW in the past at least a run for his money. His 1-2 is second only to Lennox's in my opinion and you have to actually get to his chin to hit it. Klitschko's defense as of late has been like a Brinks truck- he doesn't let anyone in.

I've only heard about Tony Thompson, I can't say he will or won't win. But I don't see someone who doesn't have KO power beating Wlad. You have to have something that takes him out of his game and being the same height as him ain't it. Brewster had a chin from hell and pressure, Corey Sanders had a SCUD missile for a left hand and Peter had KO power in both fists. Thompson better be hella fast or something to make Wlad uncomfortable otherwise it's either lights out or he'll become content to take 2nd place.

[Bukom Battler]

This is a decent second (Haye stopped Bonin in 1, Fraudley stopped the same guy in 9) test into the heavyweights for me. Who has Fraudley fought that was this good. Dominic Guinn?

This is a fight he will win in my opinion. If he gets past this I will then be intrigued to see who he fights next. Maybe somebody like Ruiz or an Eastern European like Virchus or the looser of Chagaev/ Valuev.