By James Slater: Now that the WBC heavyweight title fight between Vitali Klitschko and the incredibly brave Shannon Briggs is done, fans are looking ahead to the next heavyweight title fight of the year: WBA champ David Haye against Audley Harrison. And while Briggs showed amazing heart last night in Germany, it seems Harrison will have to match his efforts if he’s to have any chance against Haye. At least this is what “The Hayemaker” is saying. Not that Haye expects “A-Force” to last anywhere close to 12-rounds on Nov.13th.
In speaking with The Sunday Herald, Haye said he is genuinely hoping Harrison can make it past a couple of rounds, and that his challenger will at least make something of a fight out of it next month.
“I want to see the best of Audley Harrison,” Haye told Richard Wilson. “So it can resemble something like a competitive boxing match. If it’s the same old Audley, then it’s going to humiliating for him. I know he’s got a good coach. I wish he could get Angelo Dundee, Emanuel Steward, Freddie Roach, anybody to get him to do a couple of rounds.
“I was thinking about just decapitating him early, but now I’m going to be cruel, string it out, humiliate him, and then take him out.”
Nasty words indeed from Haye. Sadly – for Harrison, that is – there is a good chance Haye will be more than capable of backing up his words. Unless the big southpaw gets extremely lucky and detonates a huge left hand on Haye’s less than granite chin (Audley’s only chance of winning in my opinion), Haye lookes to have too much speed, too much power and too much all-round ability for him. What Haye doesn’t have is much experience in fighting southpaws. Team-Haye are working on that right now – Haye’s chief sparring partner is Tony Thompson.
As tall as Harrison as well as having the same stance as the 2000 Olympic gold medallist, “The Tiger” is probably the best possible spar-mate Haye could have picked to get ready for the Harrison rumble.
“I’m fortunate that we’ve been able to get these quality rounds in,” Haye said of his gym work with Thompson. “I’ve only had 45 seconds of southpaw experience in eight years of being a professional (the quick KO over Oleksandr Hurov in December of 2005), which is why the main sparring partner I’ve got is Tony Thompson. I believe he’s the best southpaw in the world. Audley is going to be in a world of hate.”
It seems Haye and his team have all the angles covered ahead of the sell-out fight in Manchester. Harrison is training hard himself, out at Big Bear in America, but has he any real chance of upsetting the WBA ruler? Another, more valid question, may be how long will the 39-year-old last against the man who is nine years his junior?