[courtesy of www.hayemaker.com] Much has been made of the recent mind games employed by world heavyweight champions David Haye and Wladimir Klitschko eight weeks out from their world title unification blockbuster on July 2, but the Londoner's trainer, Adam Booth, insists his man won't be swayed by anything that goes on before the pair touch gloves.
Booth oversaw Haye and Klitschko's phoney warfare this week at both Hamburg and London press conferences and, though plenty was said by both fighters at the mic, he doesn't expect any of the early posturing to have much bearing on the eventual outcome.
“There is no way Wladimir will get to David mentally - not a chance,” said Booth. “David is all wrong for Wladimir, simply all wrong, regardless of whether they are having an argument at a press conference or a fight in a boxing ring. Boxing is all about matching up styles - mentally and in the ring - and we will find out that David is all wrong for Wladimir on July 2nd.”
“David is very headstrong and stubborn at times, but he has to be to get where he has. I have trained David since he was about sixteen and we understand how each other think and function. We don’t even have to be in the same country, but will know how each other is thinking on a point. It has been really enjoyable at times and sometimes a bit stressful, but David has had to be headstrong and single-minded to get where he has.”
Acting as Haye's trainer, manager and valued source of advice, Booth is better positioned than anybody to assess his fighter's past, present and future fortunes in the boxing ring. Not only that, Carshalton's Booth is also, like Haye, now benefiting from nearly ten years experience at the very top of the game.
“I have changed a lot along with David,” said Booth, who has been with Haye each and every step of the way as both an amateur and professional. “Sometimes I have made decisions which at the time may seem suicidal, but you make them because you believe you are right.
"For instance, I sat in the back garden and made the decision to make the Wladimir fight instead of the Vitali one, despite the fact that there will be many people in boxing screaming at me that I am wrong and have made a mistake. Ultimately, you have to go with what you feel is right and I will say it yet again - David is all wrong for Wladimir and on July 2nd you are going to see something very special.”
Through the course of nearly a decade, the two-man team of Haye and Booth have snared WBC, WBA and WBO world cruiserweight titles, as well as their current prized possession, a WBA world heavyweight crown. While Haye would assure you he was always a surefire bet, the far more philosophical Booth is just content to be successfully travelling along the rocky path both constructed at the start of their professional journey.
“If you look at his previous fights, it's very hard to predict what David is going to do, inside and outside the ring,” said Booth. “All I'll say is make the most of him while he is still here. I am not going to even start talking about what his plans are concerning retirement, as I never look beyond the next fight or training session, but appreciate David for what he has done and what he is going to do.
“Ten years ago we sat together in a takeaway in the early hours of the morning and decided there and then that when deciding to go professional we were going to control things as much as possible with as much success as possible and to get out of the sport with David’s faculties intact. We are still on course to do just that.”