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Hayes next fight.......... Ruslan Chagaev is the WBA Mandatory.
WBA heavyweight champion David Haye has promised (again) that he will fight one – or both – of the Klitschko brothers in 2011. The cynics remain, and who can blame them, since negotiations have been ongoing – and routinely failing – for over a year and a half now.
Why Haye versus IBF/WBO titleholder Wladimir or WBC counterpart Vitali hasn’t yet happened depends on who you believe. The Ukrainian siblings insist they have made fair offers for the fights, while Haye is claiming their terms have been unreasonable. I’ll leave the commentary on this to the keyboard warriors of the internet forums, but suffice to say that there’s a lot of work to be done on both sides before either of these highly-anticipated unification matches become a reality.
It’s also worth mentioning that apart from the wrangling over terms and conditions, all three men have separate existing obligations – Haye’s next mandatory defence is due soon, while Odlanier Solis and Ray Austin fight on Dec 18 to decide Vitali’s next number-one challenger, and Wladimir meets Dereck Chisora in little over a week's time. Haye may well meet a Klitschko in 2011, but don’t be surprised if it’s not in his next fight.
So, if this is the case, who else might the Hayemaker look to?
Ruslan Chagaev
Why? Chagaev is Haye’s mandatory contender, so they will have to meet sooner or later. If a Klitschko fight can’t be finalised soon, Haye should opt for the “sooner” option so that his calendar can be cleared for a further 12 months.
Why not? The Uzbek ex-champ is hardly the most marketable name in the world and he failed to impress last time out against hand-picked opposition in Travis Walker. Question marks also surround Chagaev’s health, since a hepatitis B diagnosis in 2008 led to a 13-month layoff and the withdrawal of licence immediately before a 2009 rematch with Nicolai Valuev. While Chagaev has been permitted to fight in his adopted homeland of Germany, it is unknown if the British board would pass him.
Who would win? With Chagaev being a smaller heavyweight and a relatively light puncher, expect Haye to be more aggressive than he was against giants Valuev and Audley Harrison, pounding out a late stoppage or comfortable decision.
Will it happen? If Haye wants to keep his WBA belt, it has to.
Tomasz Adamek
Why? Adamek is widely regarded among the top two heavyweights without a belt, and unlike his peer, Alexander Povetkin, he seems keen to fight for a title sooner rather than later. He also brings to the table an action-packed style and an army of Polish support, and has a better pedigree than Haye in the lower weights, having won world belts at both cruiser and light-heavyweight.
Why not? First of all, Adamek may yet challenge Vitali in March. Before that, he has to get past Vinnie Maddalone on December 9 (although that looks a formality). But assuming Adamek beats Maddalone and doesn’t fight Vitali, there’s no obvious reason why he wouldn’t make a good opponent for Haye.
Who would win? Haye would win an action fight. Again, he won’t be cautious against a smaller heavyweight, while Adamek’s power is not the same in this division as it was at cruiser and light-heavy. I can see him lasting the distance, though, and giving Haye a worrying moment or two.
Will it happen? Possibly. The fans often claim this is the best match the heavyweight division can throw up outside of Haye against a Klitschko. Haye will recognise how this stands to improve both his stature and his bank balance, while Adamek will likely consider Haye more beatable than the brothers.
Alexander Povetkin
Why? Like Adamek, Povetkin is one of the “best without a belt” and has been touted as a world beater ever since he turned professional.
Why not? After a meteoric rise through the division, which saw him gain a number-one IBF world ranking within two and a half years of his pro debut, Povetkin has been strangely reluctant to take the next step. Since January 2008, he has fought only five times, against opposition well short of world class, and rejected several offers of a world title shot against Wladimir. This curious career arc has drawn criticism and does hint at a loss of confidence, for whatever reason.
Who would win? Povetkin technically has a very good chance at beating Haye. He has an excellent amateur pedigree, can punch and move well, and is unperturbed by speed – one of Haye’s biggest assets. On the downside, his recent poor opposition and erratic activity may have blunted his talents somewhat, and there has to be doubts over his confidence. Assuming he is at his best and believes he can win, I’d pick Povetkin to outscore Haye, perhaps after a knockdown or two, but there are definitely a few asterisks against such a prediction.
Will it happen? Probably not, but Povetkin might see Haye as an easier route to a world title.
Chris Arreola
Why? Although Haye prefers to fight at home, he will surely see the attraction of a match in the USA, especially as a good win there would increase his bargaining power against the Klitschkos. If he was to go Stateside, then it would make sense to fight America’s most marketable young contender, Arreola.
Why not? Arreola’s world-class worth has been discredited after losing to Vitali and Adamek and struggling with Manuel Quezada last time out. He also seems reluctant to address conditioning issues which have hampered his performances and damaged his physique.
Who would win? Arreola’s power means he would be a danger throughout against the vulnerable Haye, but so long as the Londoner boxes smartly, he can win a wide decision.
Will it happen? It hasn’t even been rumoured, but it’s just a thought if Haye should fight in America.
Dereck Chisora
Why? If Chisora pulls off what would be a monumental upset against Wladimir, another all-British blockbuster with Haye would be a natural.
Why not? Chisora is tied to a multi-fight contract with the Klitschko brothers in the event he wins. Not only is he bound to give Wladimir a rematch, but he’d have to fight Vitali, too.
Who would win? At present, Haye would be a huge and obvious favourite, but for Chisora to beat Wladimir would be for him to have shown us a wealth of talent that his hitherto remained untapped. As such, any prediction on Haye-Chisora would have to wait until the admittedly unlikely event that Dereck scores the upset.
Will it happen? No, for the contractual reasons above.
Evander Holyfield
Why? Despite his age, Holyfield is the most famous active heavyweight in the world, and fame equals money.
Why not? Money aside, there would be very little for Haye to gain by beating a 48-year-old. In fact, he would almost certainly be castigated for doing so.
Who would win? Haye, early. Sure, Holyfield has always been durable and gutsy, but Haye will be much too sharp for this vintage of the Real Deal. I see a compassionate referee stopping a Holyfield who is proudly still on his feet, but it would come within two or three rounds.
Will it happen? There’s an outside chance, but I doubt it.
Antonio Tarver
Why? Another big name, albeit an ageing one, who, despite until recently being a light-heavyweight, would probably make for a better challenger than Holyfield. Plus the always-charismatic Tarver would play is role in hyping the fight beyond its true worth.
Why not? Again, besides the payday, a win over Tarver doesn’t figure to elevate Haye’s standing, since it would have come against a 42-year-old former light-heavy.
Who would win? Haye, probably by mid-rounds stoppage. Tarver hasn’t shown much frailty through his career, but then he’s never fought a powerful and world-class heavyweight. On top of this, Tarver didn’t look to have much pop in his punches in his sole excursion in the division, a points win over the so-so Nagy Aguilera.
Will it happen? Unlikely. It’s not even been mooted as of yet. Let’s see if Tarver can beat a world-ranked name first.
David Haye's next fight - If not a Klitschko, then who? | BoxRecNews
I think he'll go with Chagaev and defend the title and he should do soon, take a leaf out of Froch's book and keep active.
Thoughts....
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Originally Posted by Hornfinger
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