by James Slater: David “The Hayemaker” Haye has been enjoying a lot of publicity lately. Going face-to-face with heavyweight king Wladimir Kltschko while the reigning IBF and WBO champion was in the U.K, Haye certainly got people talking. The man who set the cruiserweight division alight wants nothing more than a shot at Klitschko, and is right now working on his weight and muscle so as to invade the heavyweight division full time.
A Klitschko-Haye fight is still a long way off. And so it should be. Let’s be clear here, as awesome as he looked down at 200 pounds, Haye has to get some good wins over name heavyweights before he has a right to get it on with the man most people feel is the very best heavyweight in the world. November looks like being the month in which Haye will join the big guys’ weight class for good, and the question on many peoples’ lips is who will he fight once November comes around..
In this article, I look at some of the most likely candidates for the position of “welcoming” Haye back to the heavyweight division.
The favourite – Hasim Rahman.
Rahman’s name has been bandied about as an opponent for Haye for some time now. This fight makes sense. “The Rock” is still a biggish name, is a former world champion, can punch hard enough for the fight to present Haye with something to worry about, and Rahman has been winning (at a low level) recently. Rahman, also, is imminently beatable. In other words, a perfect opponent for Haye’s full time invasion of the heavyweights.
The outcome.
Look for Haye to use his speed advantages in the early rounds to sufficiently tire out the ageing Rahman, before lowering the boom in fine style around the 6th round. Haye by KO in the middle rounds. There is also a chance “The Rock” will test Haye’s chin once or twice, however.
Strong possibility – Shannon Briggs.
Briggs has spoken about his desire to face the naturally smaller Haye. This fight too, makes sense. Like Rahman, Briggs has an easily recognisable name, is a former champ and can still punch. Briggs is also a huge man. If he could send him crashing, Haye would have himself a very eye-catching win. Briggs is also slow enough, both of hand and foot, to have Haye licking his chops at the thought of facing him.
The outcome.
Look for Haye to have Briggs gasping as early as round three. Trying in vain to nail his man, asthmatic Briggs will become frustrated and out of puff early. Looking to fight negatively thereafter, Briggs, who hasn’t looked like he’s enjoyed fighting for some time now, will be looking for a way out. Don’t be surprised if he quits before Haye has the satisfaction of KO’ing him. Haye by stoppage inside five rounds.
Strong possibility – Danny Williams.
A fight with a fellow Brit would be attractive, especially if the fight took place in the U.K. Williams has been in with some big names, and has done well at times. Danny is also an easily recognisable name – especially in Britain. Haye would also like the fight because Williams has a tendency to choke on the big occasion. Danny is also pretty slow on his feet, though his hands are quite swift.
The outcome.
This one, contrary to what many will probably think, could be somewhat tough for Haye. When he’s up for it, Williams is a good fighter. His jab is an effective weapon and he has genuine punching power. I see Haye having to work hard for the full ten or twelve rounds the fight is scheduled for – in the end capturing a wide points win. The critics will no doubt jump on Haye for not only failing to get a KO, but also for looking distinctly tired in the later rounds. A good learning experience for “The Hayemaker.”
Less Likely – Tye Fields.
You couldn’t get a bigger guy for Haye to attempt to knock out! Fields looks the part physically, is a fairly big name in the U.S, and Haye may want to get to Fields and KO him before someone else does first. The fight wouldn’t give Haye much to worry about, what with the slow Fields’ mechanical moves and amateurish style. The chance at such a potentially spectacular KO just might tempt Haye to go for this fight come his heavyweight invasion. Can you say TIMBER!?
Outcome.
Repeat, can you say timber? Look for the much faster Haye to have fun in there for a few rounds, as he accustoms himself to a real heavyweight juggernaut’s size. After two, maybe three rounds of doing some razzle-dazzle stufff, Haye will move in, plant his feet and tee off on Fields. Haye will likely get what he wants in around three or four rounds.