David Haye's Future Opponents
Contenders Queue up to Face the New WBA Heavyweight Champion
Nov 12, 2009
David Haye stands in the enviable position of being the Heavyweight division’s new star and most marketable fighter. Following his victory last week over Nikolai Valuev Haye stands on the very cusp of the big time. As the new WBA champion he has a number of interesting future opponents to concentrate on over the next few years.
There are some obvious big money fights out there for Haye, as well as a number of interesting potential challenges to be overcome. Haye and his management team will have to decide the future trajectory of David’s career. Will he go after the biggest names in the division and attempt to unify the fragmented titles or rather play it safe and attempt to milk the belt over the next few years?
The Mandatory Challenger
John Ruiz, the WBA number one contender, must be accommodated within the next three months. Ruiz reportedly took a sizeable step aside payment to allow Haye his opportunity against the gigantic Russian.
While Ruiz is a mandatory contender and cannot be avoided, the match should hold little real threat for the new champion. At 6’2’’ and 225 pounds Ruiz is actually smaller than Haye and his plodding style and lack of genuine power suggest he is tailor made for the Bermondsey puncher to look good against.
Every time Ruiz has stepped in with truly top calibre opposition he has been defeated. He can be outboxed (as Roy Jones showed back in 2004) and he can be hurt and stopped (a trick David Tua achieved in 19 seconds back in 1997). Ruiz is competent, and defensively sound if somewhat uninspiring. The “quiet Man” is aptly named and it is hard to see anything other than a quick stoppage in Haye’s favour when they eventually meet.
Heavyweight Title Unification Matches
The Klitschko brothers are the two dominant forces in the division today. Between them they hold the WBC, IBF and WBO titles. If Haye wishes to truly establish his supremacy at heavyweight then the path towards stardom will take in one or both of the Ukrainian giants. Either of them will be a worthy future opponent.
Wladimir: The Weaker of the Two Brothers?
Wladimir, who Haye publically pursued and lambasted in the run in to their aborted title match in March, is generally perceived as the more vulnerable of the two. Many critics gave Haye in excellent chance against Wladimir, citing the younger brother’s perceived lack of stamina, suspect chin and gun-shy approach. However, the IBF/WBO champion stands 6’6’’ and flaunts the best jab in the division. Ally this to punching power forceful enough to have stopped 47 opponents in 53 wins (53-3) and you have a man dangerous enough to have held the title since 2006 making seven defences.
Haye has clearly succeeded in getting under Wladimir’s skin and now that the he has successfully made the transition from Cruiserweight to Heavyweight the fight is even more enticing. Haye has repeatedly said that he intends to retire at thirty-one, which leaves him only two years to clear up the division. A match with Wladimir would unify three of the four accepted alphabet titles, make financial sense and most importantly, provide Haye with a realistic opportunity for success.
Vitali: Boxing’s Top Heavyweight
Vitali Klitschko, 38-2 (37 KO’s) represents the most daunting of all Haye’s potential challenges. The titanic Ukrainian is perceived as close to unbeatable at present. Vitali is a frightening composite of fistic abilities. Possessing genuine power, under-rated technical skills and a cast iron jaw, he is most people’s choice as the most effective heavyweight on the planet at the moment.
On the debit side he is thirty-seven years old and has been troubled with persistent injuries throughout his career. He has only fought three times since 2004 and despite his excellence will not be around forever. Haye has expressed an interest in taking on the elder of the Klitschko’s, though a match so fraught with potential danger is unlikely considering David has only just won his title.
If Haye was cautious and circumspect against the relatively unthreatening Valuev it is hard to see how could modify his approach against fighter like Vitali. It is most likely that this match-up will be left to simmer over the next year or so while David acclimatises to the new weight division. Haye v Klitschko in 2011 is a fight more likely to favour the Englishman; another two years on the Ukrainian’s clock can only be to Haye’s benefit. The unwinnable battle might well be a pick-em encounter in a few years time.
Haye has Options
So there are clearly a number of interesting fights out there should Haye choose to pursue his stated goal and attempt to unify the fragmented Heavyweight titles. The imposing Klitschko brothers will have to be faced and defeated if David wishes to establish a lasting legacy at Heavyweight. However, there are other noteworthy opponents out there among the top contenders in the division. The route Haye chooses over the next year or so will principally determine how his heavyweight adventure is perceived and remembered.
 |
