Haye: ‘Make or break time for British boxing’

Former world cruiserweight champion David ‘The Hayemaker’ Haye has signalled the importance of the upcoming weeks for British boxing and has warned that fight fans could either witness a glorious renaissance of the sport in this country or a dramatic collapse.

Starting with Joe Calzaghe’s light-heavyweight super-fight with Roy Jones, Jr. on November 8, the next four weeks will see all four of Britain’s leading players involved in captivating, hard-to-call matches.

Haye will battle New York heavyweight Monte ‘Two Gunz’ Barrett on November 15 at The O2 and Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton will look to get to grips with Paulie ‘Magic Man’ Malignaggi on November 22. Finally, super-middleweight Carl ‘The Cobra’ Froch gets his deserved shot at world title glory against Jean Pascal on December 6.

Given the competitive nature of the match-ups, Haye is receptive to any kind of outcome in each bout.

“This is probably the best month for boxing I can remember in this country,” admits Haye, the former WBC, WBA and WBO world cruiserweight king now looking to light up a flagging heavyweight division.

“The four best fighters in Britain are all taking risky fights and it’s now time for each of us to stand up and be counted. We have to represent our country and show that British boxers can really fight.

“We sometimes get a reputation for being over-protected in this country and it’s down to us four to show that isn’t the case. This is what boxing should be all about. We’ve all taken potentially ‘lose-able’ fights and that’s exciting to me as a boxing fan.”

Nobody could ever accuse the go-getting Haye of being over-protected or handed the easy path to the top. After all, within merely 22 pro bouts the Bermondsey puncher has snared three world titles and unified the cruiserweight division. However, in moving up to heavyweight, Haye is adamant the job is only half complete.

Alternatively, Welsh hero Calzaghe is nearing the end of his career. He looks to bow out in style against all-time great Jones, Jr. in a fight Haye warns could surprise a few people.

“Joe needs to kick things off in style with a win over Roy, but it’s definitely not going to be as easy as people think,” explains Haye. “Roy probably isn’t the fighter he once was, but he still knows enough and has the kind of style to give Joe a headache or two.

“Joe is a great fighter and has a work-rate that most opponents just can’t live with. That alone will be enough to beat most fighters. However, he’s not an awkward, hard-to-hit southpaw like Antonio Tarver. Calzaghe will be there for Jones to hit and when Roy is offered a target he’s usually very quick to the trigger and lands clean, eye-catching shots. It may be a case of Calzaghe’s quantity versus Jones’ quality.”

A massive fan of Pensacola’s Jones, Jr., Haye was able to finally meet his hero in Las Vegas during the summer – ironically, at Calzaghe’s light-heavyweight showdown with Bernard Hopkins. 

“I met Roy at the roulette tables in Vegas,” says Haye. “He was playing just as hard he fights and was every bit as competitive as I expected him to be. He wouldn’t let anyone get the upper hand and would sulk if he lost. 

“He was also constantly talking about his wish to fight Calzaghe and was spelling out the game plan to me. He wouldn’t stop going on about it. The one thing you can say about Jones is that he’s a very measured and calculated kind of fighter. He doesn’t go near fights he doesn’t feel he can win. He believes he knows exactly what to do to beat Calzaghe.”

Ultimately, though, Haye will be hoping for a Calzaghe victory to rejuvenate boxing in this country and set up his own bout with Barrett the following week at The O2.

“We all have our jobs to do and should we get four wins out of four we can then look forward to some even bigger fights in 2009,” adds Haye. “I already know that should I get the win over Barrett we could be doing something special with Wladimir Klitschko next year in England. That’s the sort of fight Britain needs.

 “The same goes for Joe, Ricky and Carl in their fights. This is our chance to prove ourselves on the biggest stage and deliver some big fights for this country in 2009. I can’t wait.”

  *** Haye’s November 15 showdown with Barrett, as well as Calzaghe’s November 8 duel with Jones, Jr., are both screened live and exclusively by Setanta Sports – the undisputed home of British and world boxing.