A high percentage of the media and sports fans judge the boxing career of David Haye boxing career on one contest: his lacklustre display against Wladimir Klitschko in 2011. It is worth remembering that Dr Steelhammer – one of the most dominant heavyweight champions of all-time – was at the peak of his powers and had significant physical advantages over David Haye in their Hamburg clash. One loss does not define a fighter. Haye’s career deserves more credit than that.
A silver medal as an amateur in the 2001 world championships. A European title as a professional, won by blasting out Alexander Gurov in under a minute in 2005. Rising from a knockdown on foreign soil to win a cruiserweight title in 2007 – a rarity for a British fighter. Unification at cruiserweight in 2008 – something seldom achieved. All this happened years before any heavyweight fights in Germany. Irrespective of how David Haye performs in his comeback, as time passes his already outstanding career will be assessed with a greater degree of objectivity.
Here we look back at some of his greatest performances.
5. Giacobbe Fragomeni – November 17 2006
Two years earlier, Haye’s inexperience, and over eagerness to render veteran Carl Thompson unconscious, backfired. The wily, unbreakable Thompson, stopped an exhausted Haye in the fifth round.
Seven victories later, when faced with the relentless Giaccobe Fragomeni, Haye displayed an ability to box both efficiently and intelligently. Despite a laceration above his left eye which had been leaking blood from the seventh round onwards, Haye retained the precision and punch power necessary to stop his rugged, durable opponent after nine competitively fought rounds.
Fragomeni bounced back, winning the WBC cruiserweight title in 2008.
4. Enzo Maccarinelli – March 8 2008
Two of the world’s best and hardest punching cruiserweights met at London’s O2 Arena in a bid to unify the division. Haye’s superior reflexes and hand-speed were evident from the first bell. Enzo absorbed two solid right crosses in the second round but the third buckled his knees, slumping him against the ring post, and inviting Haye to pummel the Welshman to defeat. Haye added Maccarinelli’s WBO belt to the WBA and WBC titles he already possessed.
3. Dereck Chisora – July 14 2012
“Del Boy” – the former British and Commonwealth champion – had recently lost closely fought tussles with Tyson Fury and Robert Helenius in 2011. Astonishingly, he’d given the formidable Vitali Klitschko a particularly troublesome night during their WBC title fight earlier in 2012.
The 210lbs Haye and 247lbs Chisora set a high intensity from the opening bell. David used effective ring movement to evade many of Chisora’s charges, while countering with sharp, snappy punches of his own. Dereck had some successes, most notably the swinging left hook he clipped David with at the end of the third round. However, by the fifth, Haye had unlocked Chisora’s defence, flooring him with a pinpoint, booming right cross. Chisora gamely rose from the canvas, but Haye swiftly attacked, connecting with another powerful right hand in the final seconds of the round, stopping Chisora for the first time in his career.
2. Nikolay Valuev – November 7 2009
Valuev’s underrated boxing ability and gigantic physique made him a problematic opponent for everyone who stepped in the ring with him. Haye managed to out-speed and outsmart Valuev, winning the WBA title on the scorecards. In the 12th round the former cruiserweight even managed to stagger his 7 foot tall, 316lbs adversary. The fact Haye accomplished this feat in Germany, made the victory all the more impressive.
1. Jean Marc Mormeck – November 10 2007
Critics who question Haye’s tenacity and thirst for battle should re-watch this fight. Mormeck – who had just beaten O’Neil Bell for the WBA and WBC titles – was the reigning cruiserweight champion, and was fighting in his home country of France. After an evenly matched opening, Haye’s slick boxing almost became irrelevant, as Jean clubbed him to his knees midway through round four. The Briton was shaken but survived the round. In the 7th round, Haye fired a variety of punishing power shots, which culminated in the ripping right uppercut, left hook, and right handed “hayemaker” which sent the Frenchman crashing to the floor.
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