How Far Can He Possibly Go?
What to make of David Haye’s upcoming return to the ring? For one thing, that old boxing adage, ‘they all come back,’ has been proven correct once more. But Haye’s comeback – against “best mate” Joe Fournier, set for the crazy in itself Oscar De La Hoya-Vitor Belfort undercard in Los Angeles on September 11 – caught everyone by surprise. Haye looked done in losing back-to-back fights with Tony Bellew, his notorious career injuries having caught up with him, and a career as a pundit/manager/ trainer seemed set.
So now, does Haye miss the limelight? Does he need money? Will the Fournier fight prove to be a one-off deal, or is Haye looking at more? We simply don’t know. What we do know is Haye looks to be in quite superb physical condition right now (this going by the photos that have been uploaded on social media) – but looks can be deceiving. How much has Haye got left inside? How much will Haye need to take care of novice fighter (and very rich man) Fournier?
Haye was KO’d by Bellew in their second fight, and he looked about as finished as any fighter can look. Once a great cruiserweight and also a pretty good heavyweight, Haye did leave the sport (temporarily as it turns out) on the back of a career that, though successful, promised a good deal more. Maybe this is the reason Haye, 28-4(26) is coming back at age 40, after three-and-a-half years out: because he feels unfulfilled.
On paper, even a faded Haye should have way too much for Fournier, but who knows for certain? As much as it’s hard to predict with any certainty what will happen in this “fight” (will it be an exhibition, or to put it bluntly, will Haye and Fournier, as chummy as they are, really try and hurt each other?) fan interest may prove quite high.
Call this a curiosity fight, during a time when we have seemingly been bombarded with a ton of them.
Note: as of now, BoxRec do not list the Haye-Fournier fight on their schedule pages, whereas De La Hoya-Belfort is listed as an upcoming fight.
He’s brokeo