David Haye v...Audley Harrison?
Word is circulating that national disappointment Audley Harrison could be lined up as David Haye’s next opponent.
Haye, the WBA heavyweight champion, is struggling to reach an agreement for a bout with either of the Klitschko brothers and so is looking for alternatives. Even so there has never been a more damning indictment of the heavyweight division and there are no words to express just how jaw-droopingly bad this weight class has become if this were to happen.
Harrison, world title fight? Audley Harrison? Really?
There have been all manner of problems trying to arrange a fight with the Klitschkos despite the fact that both Vitali and Wladimir have spoken of taking on Haye and he has reciprocated in kind. In fact you will be hard-pressed to find any of the trio talk in the last two years without mentioning a possible fight. Wladimir even took the time out to make an avant-garde YouTube video calling out “The Hayemaker”.
Arts and crafts aside the sticking point seems to be which Klitschko. Haye wants Vitali and the Klitschkos want to send Wladimir – and that appears to be the problem. Of course there is also money, politics, promoters, venues, all the standard fare that ruins fights the fans want to see.
If you take a moment to look around for someone else to challenge Haye, it doesn’t make enthralling reading.
Pole Tomasz Adamek represents the next option after the Klitschko’s in terms of ranking, followed by Ruslan Chagaev and Alexander Povetkin, but none of them exactly work you up into a frenzy of excitement.
There’s no young hotshots coming through, no Americans- not even overhyped ones, just the same old sub-standard, boring faces. No-one wants to see the giant Nicolay Valuev blunder around the ring again, so the only option other than a Klitschko that is going to sell is a domestic battle, the top contender? Mr Harrison. A bout that would be sold purely on comedy value.
The bottom line is Haye might be stuck with Harrison, even though he proclaimed he is not on his radar. Haye is PPV material these days and as boxing is all about getting the biggest bang for your buck (pun intended) then the only reason the British public are going to splash the cash on this is curiosity on seeing Harrison.
The 2000 Sydney Olympic gold medallist has got back on track by winning the European strap in April, having spent basically his entire pro career in the wilderness. He is a figure of fun and if it wasn’t for a huge right hand in the Michael Sprott fight, pulled from the depths, he would be retired.
Harrison does have his tremendous strength and he is gigantic but he always looks absolutely terrified and seems to hold back every fight, elephant and mouse syndrome. “A-force” is 38 now and his career was over long ago. Fair play, he came back from the dead, but there is no way he is a contender.
As Haye is small for a heavyweight, it could be supposed that Harrison could catch him with a big punch à la Sprott. Realistically though Haye is way too good, too fast, both in hands and feet and he’s not short in power himself with a superb knockout record.
If you’re a boxing fan the heavyweights are best avoided these days. Haye maybe an exciting young fighter perfect for shaking up the division, but he has no-one to fight unless the Klitschkos turn up.
So we are stuck with Haye v Harrison. Great.
God forbid A-force manages to win.
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