by James Slater: David Haye cannot stay out of the news just lately. Fans are excited about his upcoming full-time move into the heavyweight division, and there has been much talk of what “The Hayemaker’s” chances of success will be once he makes his move. Today, it was reported that Haye has signed a lucrative fight deal with Golden Boy. Also today, promoter Frank Warren offered Haye £600,000 (approx $1.2 million) to face fellow Brit Matt Skelton..
Haye has reportedly turned Warren’s offer down flat, and will instead stick to his original plan of facing former world champ Hasim Rahman. However, Haye did mention that he hopes Rahman doesn’t ask for “silly money” to fight him. The Rahman fight has been the one Haye and his team have always wanted for the big-punching Londoner’s re-debut up at heavyweight, but who would likely give Haye the better test – “The Rock” or big Matt?
Though he’s neither a former world champion or at all pretty to watch, Matt Skelton is a tough and durable opponent for most any heavyweight – Haye included. He may be well into his forties, and as such is older than Rahman, but is “The Bedford Bear” more hungry and ambitious than Rahman at this point? Rahman has seen better days, as his labouring to defeat the oft-beaten Zuri Lawrence in his last fight showed. At 35, “The Rock” is nowhere near the fighter he was when he sensationally KO’d Lennox Lewis back in 2001.
A more marketable name than Skelton he may have, but I think the huge Brit would have given Haye a much more interesting fight than Rahman will. With his weight and strength leaning on Haye, along with his sheer grit and determination, we would get a number of questions answered pertaining to how the former cruiserweight king can handle a really big guy. Is it possible Haye turned down Skelton because he knew a tough and not at all easy fight to look good in is what he would have got? Let’s face it, Haye has a much better shot at stopping Rahman with an attention grabbing one-punch KO that he would have with Skelton.
I’m not for one minute saying Skelton would have beaten Haye, just that a fight with a durable heavyweight such as the 42-year-old would likely have given Haye a hard and interesting night’s work. Indeed, as ordinary and unattractive as Skelton is in the eyes of some fans, “The Hayemaker” really would’ve made a statement upon moving into his new weight class full time if he’d managed to become the first man to stop him.
That would’ve been impressive!