Harrison set for Haye after vacating EBU belt
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to heavyweight boxing it would seem that the prospect of a David Haye v Audley Harrison world-title fight is looming ominously as a reality. I’m sure everyone will agree this is outstanding news.
The one they call “A-force” has handed in his European strap, the clearest indication yet that he has a world-title shot coming up, because he probably wouldn’t be too keen on relinquishing that little beauty for no reason.
Harrison is of course famous for being a huge disappointment. An Olympic gold medallist at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, he proceeded to sign a £1million pound contract with the BBC to fight milkmen and factory workers. As a result boxing is no longer shown on terrestrial TV.
As for Haye he should really know better. What is going on with him and the Klitschko brothers? It’s gone down the Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao route as boxing again fails to do itself any favours by making these big fights happen. Haye’s trainer Adam Booth has announced Harrison is in the mix, even though a few months ago they were insisting he “wasn’t on their radar”.
It’s hard to work out what is stopping a Haye-Klitschko bout, there’s even two of them to pick from. Both “The Hayemaker” and the Ukrainians have talked about nothing else than fighting each other, but they never seem to get close to agreeing. The rumours centre on unfair contracts, location issues, ego clashes and of course the internet conspiracy theorists’ favourite - someone’s ducking someone.
Whatever the reasons it doesn’t look set to happen any time. Seriously though how hard can it be to sort out? Just sit them all in a room for an hour or two and hammer out the details, get on with it and stop being so catty.
Vitali Klitschko fought Albert Sosnowski a week ago and you got the impression that had Sosnowski been a bit faster he could have got inside Klitschko’s jab, something Haye is more than capable of doing. At the same time a Klitschko bomb to the WBA champ’s jaw would answer any withstanding questions about Haye’s chin. At 39 years old Vitali hasn’t got long left in him and as the better of the two brothers this is the fight people would like to see.
You would settle for Wladimir though, and he has been particularly vocal about his dislike of Haye, but despite his YouTube video he seems unlikely at this stage too.
This leaves us with A-fraud.
It’s fair to say Harrison is not the most worthy of contenders; it does make good business sense though. A curiosity for most casual boxing fans who thought he disappeared long ago as a result he will sell tickets and PPV almost on a novelty basis.
This is a man who lost successive matches to Danny Williams and Dominick Guinn, a man who was proclaimed the saviour of boxing then proceeded to get out-fought by Martin Rogan. A man who almost lost Prizefighter to chubby newcomer Coleman Barrett and was one round away from losing his subsequent European shot to Michael Sprott before a huge left hand saved him from certain defeat. Not exactly the pedigree of a world champion.
Harrison of course fights with that notorious frightened deer style, a giant of a man who seemed to be afraid of his own power once he left the cosy world of the amateurs behind. We saw how destructive it can be when he flattened Sprott, but it literally took for him to be stuck on the ropes, staring a career-ending defeat square in the face for him to produce any quality for the first time in 31 fights. Yes he was brave to fight on injured, but there’s always something with him, he forever has an excuse at hand.
The dreamers and romantics could argue that he might catch Haye, a former roommate of his, on the chin with a big straight causing a shocking defeat. But realistically Haye is too fast, too explosive and has too much energy for Harrison. To put it simply he’s a class above.
Tomasz Adamek would be a much more worthy opponent for The Hayemaker and a more exciting spectacle. As a former cruiserweight champion as well, Adamek is fast and exciting and would provide an excellent competitor for Haye. Also Ruslan Chagaev could argue he has claim for another shot. According to WBA’s April 2010 rankings Kali Meehan is the No.1- ranked contender; however he lost to Chagaev who was No.2 in May, so surely by that logic it should be Chagaev. Of interest Harrison isn’t even in the WBA’s top 15 - and even Shannon Briggs manages to get on to that list.
As European champion you could say Harrison deserves a shot, but to be honest he’s lucky to have that title and he hasn’t even defended it. You look at Kevin Johnson, Eddie Chamber and Nicolay Valuev and wonder if they deserved their shots as well, but at least they went in with decent records and reputations, even if they were overblown. Harrison hasn’t fought quality and he has still got a poor record, plus you’d struggle to find anyone who massively rates him.
Fraudley will sell tickets though and that’s the main thing, this fight will make money. The Klitschkos have no use for him, he won’t sell tickets outside the UK and if he is vacating his EBU belt it must surely be for the quick-drawing Bermondsey boy.
Haye does have to fight someone though and the rate the Haye-Klitschko negotiations are going they will be older than Methuselah by the time it’s agreed. The Harrison bout does have a freak-show quality about it and some comedy value, but it will do little to enhance the reputation of the heavyweight division, particularly if Harrison somehow wins.
We have had Rocky Marciano v Jersey Joe Walcott, the Sugar Ray Robinson v Jake Lamotta series, Muhammad Ali v Smokin' Joe Frazier and Evander Holyfield v Mike Tyson .
Somehow you can’t see Haye v Harrison taking a place in history side-by-side these classics.
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