This is a published letter from a hardcore fight fan out there just like you! This Wednesday segment will feature these letters containing various topics around the sport, and end with a response from Vivek Wallace himself! For those fight fans who don’t like what the average boxing scribe has to say, here’s your chance to SOUND OFF! Send all ‘Open Mic Fan Mail’ letters to wallace@boxing247.com. (Keep content short and concise, profanity free, and don’t hold back, the mic is yours)! Today’s letter comes to us from Jason R. of Atlanta, GA:
Vivek,
I don’t know about you, but I’m getting pretty tired of David Haye. When you look at things from a mainstream view, he came out of no where, popped off at the mouth, told everyone listening what he was gonna do and hasn’t delivered on anything special yet. People say that the heavyweight division is weak. When I look around, yeah, you don’t see any Ali’s, Tyson’s, or Lewis’, but you do see guys more credible than Audley Harrison. I see Chambers, I see Olandier Solis, I see Adamek, and I see a bunch of other guys. I guarantee you he chooses someone like Holyfield if he beats Harrison, and this is the crap that sucks about the sport..
How can a lot of these young cats in this generation feel so entitled to this kind of money with such pathetic resumes? Speaking as a fan it’s frustrating because boxing is becoming the new WWE. It all seems staged and phony with massive agenda’s. To me, Haye is a perfect example that there doesn’t seem to be any real fighters out there who want to earn their credentials the right way, and it’s getting old. This is why fans are switching to MMA/UFC. A lot of these boxers are full of talk but no action. I’ve read your work in the past, but I haven’t really heard you talk about this kind of stuff head on. Do you really think Haye has what it takes to be a heavyweight champion in the sport?
Jason R. (Atlanta, GA)
(RESPONSE)
Jason,
I’ll start by saying that David Haye is one of those fighters who pulls emotions from both sides of the fence with me. I consider myself a fan, and I touted him more heavily than probably any other boxing scribe on the planet, but much like yourself, I do think his act has grown a bit old lately. And speaking of old, that’s probably the most fitting word I could use about him. A look at Haye’s heavyweight resume to date has me wondering if he should have been a golf player instead, as it truly resembles a “Senior Tour”! Barrett (39), Valuev (37), Ruiz (38). In ring years, that’s the proverbial “low-hanging fruit”, as it won’t take much effort at all for a young beast like him to pluck them from circulation.
Just a few years ago, here in America, (other countries as well), we didn’t really KNOW who David Haye was. We saw a few clips, some of us a few fights, but we didn’t truly know the magnitude of who he was and what he could ultimately become. What attracted attention to him was the fact that he employed the greatest recipe for promotional success any fighter could employ……which was a big ‘yapper’! And when he actually hit the division, that’s all he was doing! Similar to Ali, Tyson and Mayweather, Haye splashed on the international scene making noise for anyone within shouting distance to hear. At the time, it was sweet music. So much to the point where I began to sing along, too, thinking the savior we all so desperately hoped for to bring life to the heavyweight division had finally come.
That was great in theory, but the one element he failed to do like those other men was actually step in the ring against dangerous competition to back that ‘yap’ up! It’s been 2 months shy of 2 years since he arrived on the scene, but despite his muscular frame, it’s starting to look like the heaviest division in the sport is in fact too heavy for his shoulders to balance, as he has virtually avoided all heavy lifting! Listen………..I don’t want to be too rough on Haye, because I do consider myself a fan, but I was a realist before I was a fan, and right now I find it hard to look the other way when something so gravely wrong is happening. This is a guy who really has the skills to take this to the top, but there’s truly a disconnect. He says he didn’t face the K-bros is because the contracts were “flawed”. I can’t turn my back on the fact that he’ll make barely a fraction with Harrison of what he would have made with EITHER of the K-bros.
Now…….some may try to justify that by saying there’s more risk involved with the Klitschko’s. True. But, in reality, what has Haye really and truly done to warrant an equal share? These men have run the division for YEARS! Haye has 99 pro rounds boxed, and many have come against much lesser opposition. 99?!?!? He’s brand new to the sport, himself. Doesn’t help that he’s planning to walk away next year, and although that’s his prerogative, it just reinforces that not only has he not earned the right to get that level playing field yet, but he may never have it if he doesn’t change his level of opposition prior to facing them (which won’t happen due to his preset retirement date)! So, I can feel your plight……there’s a lot of words, but little action to support them. Until Haye does something meaningful, your plight will be shared by several others. Hope he gets it together soon!
(Vivek Wallace can be reached at vivexemail@yahoo.com, 954-292-7346, Youtube (VIVEK1251), Twitter (VIVEK747), Facebook, and Myspace).