INTERVIEW: David Haye fighting to secure a lasting legacy

Andy Lewis 11:56 26/06/2014
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  • Man on a mission: David Haye is determined to make a return to the boxing ring and has his sights set on fighting in Dubai.

    It seems absurd that David Haye’s boxing career should feel unfulfilled or his achievements be tainted in any way.

    Yet, however harsh it is, people have short memories and the 33-year-old’s dalliance with celebrity and spells of inactivity have undoubtedly warped the perception of him as a sportsman.

    This is a fighter who became the undisputed cruiserweight champion of the world at 26, a former heavyweight champion and one of just eight two-weight world champions in the long history of British boxing.

    But mention his name and you are more likely to hear about the manner of his defeat to Wladimir Klitschko, or his appearances on reality television.

    There’s no shame in losing to the younger Klitschko but it’s a measure of Haye’s talent that people expected more.

    The real shame is that his loss to the ruthlessly efficient Ukrainian powerhouse remains Haye’s defining moment to date.

    People should talk about his sensational capture of the cruiserweight crown, where he climbed off the canvas to knock out Jean-Marc Mormeck in Paris in one of the most underappreciated away performances by a British fighter.

    His defeat of Nikolai Valuev should also jump out.

    While the fleshy Russian may have been ponderous and crude, Haye, one of the smallest heavyweights in the division, found a way to beat the biggest, again, away from home.

    Yet the image of him sat in a post-fight press conference in Hamburg with a damaged toe on display is more prevalent than him standing, arm-raised in victory, in the centre of a ring in Nuremberg 18 months earlier.

    Two years away from the sport and a series of cancelled fights have further diminished a legacy that should be enshrined by now and rather curiously, a multi-weight world champion stands on the brink of a comeback with perhaps more to prove than ever.

    But if Haye can realise a new set of goals, the question marks will be replaced by exclamation marks.

    “The dream scenario for me is maybe two or three fights, then some type of eliminator and then to challenge for a version of the heavyweight title,” he explains.

    “Whether that’d be with Wladimir Klitschko (the WBA, IBF & WBO champion), or whoever holds the WBC title at that time.

    “Then win that title and defend it, and then unify, going out there and winning all the belts together. That would be my perfect schedule for the next two or three years.

    “I’m pretty confident I will be back to my best. I’m not that old, I’m 33, nearly 34.

    “I haven’t got too many miles on the clock and not had many beatings in my 28-fight career. I feel I still have a lot to give.”

    The landscape has changed somewhat since Haye pulverized his way to the top of the rankings.

    Vitali Klitschko has retired, with his WBC strap now worn by the relatively unknown Canadian Bermane Stiverne, who is set to defend the famous green belt against his mandatory challenger and Haye’s former sparring partner, Deontay Wilder.

    And with all the other versions of the title the property of Wladimir, the WBC might prove the most attractive avenue for the Londoner.

    “Stiverne versus Wilder is an exciting fight,” he says. “Both are good fighters and are big punchers and I think it’s about time that we got some interesting 50/50 fights for the heavyweight title.

    “Watching Wladimir hold and lever his way to victory against guys who are 200/1 underdogs; people don’t really want to tune in for that. People are interested in Stiverne even though they never heard of him before.

    “He’s a heavyweight who lets his hands go, but he’s vulnerable, so putting these guys together makes it exciting and I’d like to get into the mix sooner rather than later and have some fun fights for the fans.

    “Wilder has his sights solely locked on winning the title and fingers crossed he does do that because he’s an exciting guy, he’s a nice guy. I’ve brought him over to the UK to help me prepare for fights as my sparring partner and he did a great job. He gave me great rounds. 

    “He has big, exciting punches and has won all his fights by knockout. He’s at the point of competing for a world title. I’m not there yet and I have to get myself into position.

    “It took him 31 fights to get into position for that title and it would take me at least two or three fights to get into that. So I plan to take it one step and fight at a time.”

    One fight we are unlikely to see, however, is a showdown with Tyson Fury.

    Haye was set to face his fellow Briton before shoulder surgery intervened, but it is not something he wants to revisit.

    Fury takes on Dereck Chisora in an eliminator for a WBO title shot, but asked if Fury was on his radar, Haye replied: “No, definitely not. That fight was made last year just as a marking time fight, a way to keep the fans happy and for me to stay busy.

    “But that fight didn’t happen twice in a row. He’s now fighting Chisora for the mandatory spot for Wladimir’s title.

    “So if he wins or loses that he’s going in a different direction than what I’m going in so I wish him luck. I’m not sure how he’ll get on with Chisora though, I think that’s an interesting fight. 

    “But unless Tyson Fury was to actually win the world title from Wladimir then I have no interest in fighting him to be honest.”

    What Haye does have an interest in doing though is fighting in Dubai.

    The emirate now boasts a Hayemaker Gym, while last week saw Haye attempt to set a world record for the biggest ever boxing lesson at Dubai Sports World.

    He intends to make his comeback in the UK in the next few months, but fancies another outing in the UAE before the end of 2014.

    “I’d love to get into the ring in September or October,” he said. “And I’ve always wanted to fight in Dubai when the weather cools down.

    “I want to fight in September or October in the UK, so perhaps in December – then Dubai would be absolutely perfect.

    “I don’t have a world title so it’s not like I have to cater for any one particular broadcast.

    “I know there’s a lot of big boxing fans and also the expat community. Dubai definitely has the infrastructure and already hosts some mega events. I don’t have a contract with anybody currently, so if there’s ever a time to do it then it is now.”

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