David Haye Profile
Taking the step up from Cruiserweight to heavyweight, the much decorated English professional boxer David 'The Hayemaker' Haye has recently taken the massive career gamble on relinquishing his hard fought WBO, WBC, WBA and The Ring magazine cruiserweight title as he goes all out to take on the fresh challenges of the heavyweight boxing scene.
Born on the 13th October 1980 in London Haye has accumulated no fewer than 22 wins in the cruiserweight boxing division to date during a fighting career that thus far has totalled 23 professional bouts. Recording the one loss in this time, 21 of those victories have been declared knock-outs since his boxing debut back in 2002.
David 'The Hayemaker' Haye Is The Master Of The Boxing Knock-Out
Haye's rise to boxing prominence has been steady and assured rather than dramatic or explosive since knocking out veteran pound-for-pound opponent Tony Booth in just two rounds shortly after turning professional. Of the fights he contested in that first year, The Hayemaker chalked up eight wins (all of which were knock-outs), two of which were contested in America; the most memorable of which came when he dragged himself up off the ring floor during his bout with Lolenga Mock to deliver the sucker blow in the 4th round that announced his arrival on the cruiserweight scene with some degree of style and measure of intent.
The BBC ensured that a large number of David Haye's fights were broadcast as his popularity within the sport grew as he began to make a name for himself during the course of 2002, helping himself to further widespread recognition by his impressive and succinct dismantling of ex-World Champion, 'King' Arthur Williams as early as the third round of the fight. Yet his prodigious talent took a confidence-shaking knock soon after when Haye suffered a bruising encounter and subsequent defeat at the brutal hands of ex-WBO champion Carl Thompson for his then ill-advised pop at the vacant IBO belt.
Haye Established Himself With Consistent Boxing Displays At Cruiserweight
After a period of sustained reflection whilst subjecting himself to an intense training regime, the Silver medal-winning Men's Boxing World Amateur Champion arrived back in the boxing big time later in 2005 as he systematically brushed aside the challenge of Alexander Gurov in a mere 45 seconds to land the EBU European title. On the back of his successful comeback, Haye signed on the dotted line with celebrated boxing promoter, Frank Maloney (never one to miss out on a hot boxing prospect having previously had Lennox Lewis on his books) so as to underline his ambitions of becoming a fighter to be reckoned with, and immediately returned Maloney's investment in him by despatching Lasse Johansen, Ismail Abdoul and Giacobbe Fragomeni while defending his European belt.
His match with a tried and tested opponent that many within the sport and boxing pundits concurred as one of – if not, the – best cruiserweight fighter around, Jean-Marc Mormeck, retrospectively proved the catalyst for Hayes' decision to aim even higher in his boxing career. Knocking Out the much respected Mormeck in the 7th round of the bout, this wasn't before The Hayemaker hit the deck himself in the 4th, only for the Bermondsey-born combatant to regain his composure and return to the swing of things by hitting Mormeck hard with a well-placed uppercut in the 7th. With the match referee establishing the Mormeck was unfit to continue, the back-to-the-wall victory made any remaining critics agree that Haye had emerged as a genuine world class fight contender.
British Fighter David Haye Steps Up To New Challenge Of Heavyweight Boxing
Readily citing the underlying fact that he struggles to make the necessary weight and can only muster and realise some 70 or 80% of his boxing potential at cruiserweight, finally prompted Haye to announce his intentions to move up a substantial grade and embark on his heavyweight boxing odyssey as of May 2008. A 2nd round demolition of Enzo Maccarinelli on the 9th March 2008 served as Haye's swansong at cruiserweight level, and in the aftermath of joining erstwhile boxing promoter, Frank Warren's camp, Haye went on live record – courtesy of the on the spot Setanta Sports cameras – to confirm his decision that he was moving up to heavyweight then and there. At the same time as predicting that he will hang up his boxing gloves full-stop in 2011 as he approaches his 31st birthday and in light of what he suggests will be three years of heavyweight domination.
Crediting former World Cruiserweight and Heavyweight champion, the American Evander Holyfield as an inspiration to cross-fertilise his boxing CV at this pivotal juncture in his professional fighting career, Haye warmed up for this juxtapositioning by dismissing the toothless threat of journeyman heavyweight, Monte Barrett at London's O2 Arena in November 2008, again courtesy of a knock-out decision, this time in the 5th round of conflict, having subjected Barrett to a barrage of blows and dropping him to the ropes during the third round. Next up on Haye's new-found heavyweight boxing radar was the far more match-worthy test of his character and skillset against the WBC Heavyweight Champion, Vitali Klitschko, pencilled in for June 2009, again on home turf in London.
David Haye Versus Nikolay Valuev WBA Heavyweight Fight Will Be 'The Hayemakers'' Biggest Boxing Test Yet
A bizarre turn of events thereafter saw Klitschko's younger sibling – IBF and WBO heavyweight world champ, Wladimir instead announce his plans to tackle Haye on the same date but in Germany. However in the event – or rather a fortnight prior to the freshly scheduled one – Haye withdrew on medical grounds. Incidentally the dogmatic Ukranian boxer hastily re-arranged a bout with Ruslan Chagaev on the same bill, beating his alternative challenger and in doing so collecting the IBF, WBO, IBO and Ring magazine heavyweight title to boot.
As we write, David Haye is busy preparing himself for a shot at the WBA Heavyweight belt against reigning champion, Nikolay Valuev, set to be staged in Nuremberg, Germany on the 7th November 2009. with the expected hyperbole being played up to by broadcasting courtiers Sky Sports, the hugely anticipated bout is being talked up as a stereotypical David and Goliath battle; with Haye being type cast as his mythical namesake for publicity reasons. That and the fact that his Russian opponent is seven feet tall and benefits from an 85in reach. The paper mismatch reads – in terms of the Russian Giant's heavyweight record to date – as 52 fights, 50 wins, 34 KO's. Either way this will undoubtedly prove to be British heavyweight hopeful, David Haye's ultimate test of his talent on this sort of stage where there really is no place to hide. David Haye Versus Nikolai Valuev Boxing Betting