Tweet
Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward believes David Haye is bringing an excitement to boxing not seen since Cassius Clay burst on the scene.
Steward will send reigning IBF/IBO/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko into the ring against Londoner Haye on June 20 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, confident the Ukrainian can get the better of the 28-year-old former cruiserweight.
Yet Steward thinks Haye's aggression in the ring and trash-talking style out of it is exactly what heavyweight boxing needs, as evidenced by the sale of 47,000 tickets in two days for the June 20 fight at Schalke 04's home ground.
It even reminds the Kronk Gym chief of the way Clay transformed the sport in the early 1960s on his way to becoming Muhammad Ali and the self-titled "Greatest".
"David Haye brings an excitement like Cassius Clay in 1963," Steward said.
"I was training then and he was creating excitement just verbally in addition to knocking out guys.
"This is the first time I have seen anyone do what David Haye is doing. He hasn't even fought a quality heavyweight, he's got a knockout against Monte Barrett, a guy (Klitschko) knocked out about 10 years ago.
"But he's a genius to create this excitement, he's even got me excited. I wanted to go to training camp this week and Wlad said 'no', wait a couple more weeks. So there's a lot of excitement in this fight."
More importantly for Steward, he believes Haye's aggression in and out of the ring can bring out the best in Klitschko following a series of methodical and uninspiring title defences against ageing campaigners such as Hasim Rahman, Tony Thompson and Lamon Brewster.
"Wladimir will be fighting a guy who isn't like who he's been fighting in the recent past. Recently they've all been old, veteran guys who've been fighting to survive. This is somebody who's going to come to knock Wladimir out," he added.
"He's gong to bring energy, excitement and explosiveness we have not seen for some while.
"And Wladimir fights at his best when fighters who come to him. Wladimir fights very good when he's attacked. He does not fight good with fighters who lay back.
"David Haye is going to come at him and be very aggressive and it's going to be one of those type of fights that's not going to go 12 rounds."
Steward added he wanted Klitschko to bring the fight to an early conclusion.
"I want this fight over with quick," he underlined.
"I want him to knock out David Haye within six rounds because we cannot play safe this time. We'll break him down slowly and then he'll feel the strength of a full heavyweight."
Steward will send reigning IBF/IBO/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko into the ring against Londoner Haye on June 20 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, confident the Ukrainian can get the better of the 28-year-old former cruiserweight.
Yet Steward thinks Haye's aggression in the ring and trash-talking style out of it is exactly what heavyweight boxing needs, as evidenced by the sale of 47,000 tickets in two days for the June 20 fight at Schalke 04's home ground.
It even reminds the Kronk Gym chief of the way Clay transformed the sport in the early 1960s on his way to becoming Muhammad Ali and the self-titled "Greatest".
"David Haye brings an excitement like Cassius Clay in 1963," Steward said.
"I was training then and he was creating excitement just verbally in addition to knocking out guys.
"This is the first time I have seen anyone do what David Haye is doing. He hasn't even fought a quality heavyweight, he's got a knockout against Monte Barrett, a guy (Klitschko) knocked out about 10 years ago.
"But he's a genius to create this excitement, he's even got me excited. I wanted to go to training camp this week and Wlad said 'no', wait a couple more weeks. So there's a lot of excitement in this fight."
More importantly for Steward, he believes Haye's aggression in and out of the ring can bring out the best in Klitschko following a series of methodical and uninspiring title defences against ageing campaigners such as Hasim Rahman, Tony Thompson and Lamon Brewster.
"Wladimir will be fighting a guy who isn't like who he's been fighting in the recent past. Recently they've all been old, veteran guys who've been fighting to survive. This is somebody who's going to come to knock Wladimir out," he added.
"He's gong to bring energy, excitement and explosiveness we have not seen for some while.
"And Wladimir fights at his best when fighters who come to him. Wladimir fights very good when he's attacked. He does not fight good with fighters who lay back.
"David Haye is going to come at him and be very aggressive and it's going to be one of those type of fights that's not going to go 12 rounds."
Steward added he wanted Klitschko to bring the fight to an early conclusion.
"I want this fight over with quick," he underlined.
"I want him to knock out David Haye within six rounds because we cannot play safe this time. We'll break him down slowly and then he'll feel the strength of a full heavyweight."
Comment