By Michael Prince: Ever since David Haye beat Jean-Marc Mormeck to win his Cruiserweight title, he has nurtured the skill of media-handling with great success. Following his unification win over Enzo Maccarinelli he played the media perfectly, alluring the boxing world in to believing that he could step up and be a true Heavyweight world champion. He has achieved his goal of winning a title at the higher weight, but is he a true champion in an era where we find a distinctly stagnant and not so talent-rich Heavyweight division as previous eras? Not yet, is my answer.. He has maligned the British press in to believing his self-built hype, and after victories over Monte Barrett, Nikolai Valuev, and John Ruiz, now is the type for talking, but since his last victory over the latter there has been a positively silent Haye camp. This can only be attributed to the justifiably daunting proposition of a unification bout with Wladimir Klitschko, who now, it seems, has to fight Alexandr Povetkin.
Vitali Klitschko is a colossal opponent, and has pushed even the great Lennox Lewis to the edge, and deserves the credit that comes his way. But, even though still a world champion, he surely has to be seen as number two in the world to the younger and more energetic Wladimir. And, whilst a fight between Vitali and Haye would be a tempting clash, I can not fathom why Haye would not instead choose to fight Wladimir Klitschko, being number one. Is this not the business we are in? Is it not about being the best, at the weight, the highers weights, and then the pound for pound number one? If David Haye wants to prove himself, surely there is no better way of doing it than fighting a man who has publically called him out, and is, indeed, the number one heavyweight in the world today.
Moreover, Haye could choose to fight Ruslan Chagaev, again, a solid opponent, but still, why after withdrawing from a fight with Klitschko previously not, now fit, agree to have re-negotiations? Haye stated that their previous deal was heavily in the Klitschko’s favour, but now that he is a world champion he would be in a far better negotiating position. But no, we have silence, and the likelihood of the fight materialising dwindles by the day, and I can only see the bowels of the Haye camp begin to do the talking, taking opponent after opponent other than the number one heavyweight in the world. David Haye has talked the talk, and is now taking baby steps to walking the walk. If he is to justify the PR-machine that is the Haye camp, then he must follow it up with actions, and thus far, he is not living up to his word.