TRIUMPHANT in his ring return on Saturday night, David Haye says he wants to remain active and has April penciled in for his next bout. Just about everybody – barring Tyson Fury – seems to be calling out the former WBA heavyweight ruler, such is the box office appeal of “The Hayemaker” and the assured big payday that goes along with fighting him.
Adding his name to the list, and stating he “can be ready by March,” is US contender, Malik Scott. Scott, 38-2-1 (13) and coming off an up from the floor points win over veteran Tony Thompson, put it out on his Twitter page that he is eager to face Haye, at 35 the same age, next.
“@mrdavidhaye I’m still waiting for a contract from you… April is your next date… I can be ready before March… let’s do it,” Scott wrote.
And Scott, hailing from Philadelphia, confirmed via Facebook to this writer that he wants Haye: “Yes, Yes – I want Haye!” Scott wrote this morning.
Scott has of course boxed in the UK before. He was somewhat controversially stopped by Dereck Chisora in July of 2013; when he was counted out in the act of rising. Scott, though, may be best known for his short fight with current WBC heavyweight king Deontay Wilder. When the two good friends met in a non-title fight in March of 2014, Wilder took Scott out inside two-minutes. Some fans have been unable to forget that performance from Scott, one that showed Scott’s less than resilient chin.
Still, Scott has won two fights since – against good opposition in Alex Leapai and Thompson, both of whom he outpointed – and he has other good displays on his resume: the draw most though he’d won against a then unbeaten Vyacheslav Glazkov from February of 2013 for example. But would the UK fans buy a Haye vs Scott fight?
Haye proved next to nothing, his critics claim, in the wipe out of Mark de Mori, and Haye himself says he wants rounds in his next outing. Can Scott, a skilled boxer, provide those rounds? Haye, once again in his exciting career, has plenty of options.
