Comments Thread For: Hearn: Haye Not on Anthony Joshua's Radar For Next Three Fights

[Kilrain]

Good. Haye doesn't deserve a title shot. If it happens tho, Joshua puts him to sleep.

Haye is possibly the most overrated boxer ever on NSB.

What's Haye done to a) earn a shot with Joshua and b) make people think he'd beat him? This is the same guy people are backing to beat Tyson Fury, yet it's too early for him to take on the likes of the Toemaker? Jesus.

Joshua could step in with Haye tomorrow and he'd flatten that afro-headed idiot.

He hasn't earned the shot, but to be fair, boxing isn't really about 'earning' the shot nowadays, whether we like it or not, it's about BUSINESS. What the hell did AJ do to 'earn' his shot at the IBF? Tell me that. All he did was fight Dillian Whyte, another unproven contender. He got the shot because of BUSINESS. Because he sells tickets, he's established himself on PPV (apparently) and his team could give Martin a huge payday.

Haye's just fought two nobodies and sold a very respectable number of tickets for both shows. He has a huge fan base, whether you like it or not. Ergo, he represents a huge fight for Joshua money-wise, not to mention a genuine test. He's a former heavyweight champion, quick, athletic, a devastating puncher, experienced, has fought a lot of different styles etc.

Your point that people are backing AJ to beat Fury, and so you are surprised they are picking Haye to beat Joshua, is a confusing one. Haven't you heard the phrase 'styles make fights'? Just because people believe AJ has a style that's all wrong for Fury doesn't preclude them from thinking the same about AJ and Haye, namely that Haye's speed, athleticism, in and out movement, timing and counter punching (not to mention power) will overcome AJ's robotic movements (and suspect chin).

The fact that you think AJ will just get in there and 'flatten' Haye shows your complete ignorance. There's no precedent for this eventuality, Haye's never been flattened in his whole career, having fought Klitschko, Valuev, Chisora etc. He has a very solid chin. At worst, he loses a decision IMO. But personally I think Haye sparks Joshua out inside five rounds. Joshua is stiff and mechanical, Haye is fast, fluid and explosive with superior timing. It's a question of styles, really.

[Robbie Barrett]

So Haye beats Fury, Ortiz, Wilder, Joshua? Like hell he does.

Haye's a big money fight, Ortiz and Wilder would be lining up to fight him if they were confident.

[Kilrain]

So Haye beats Fury, Ortiz, Wilder, Joshua? Like hell he does.

Possibly. Only way we know is if he fights them all, which is very unlikely. But then it's very unlikely that Fury fights all the names you mentioned (plus Haye), or Joshua fights all the names you mentioned (plus Haye). That shortlist represents many different styles and qualities. Seems to me that Joshua is content to fight bums for the foreseeable future, Parker will likely be his first true test at a good level. Wilder rarely makes noise about fighting top names, there's been no real talk of him fighting Fury, Ortiz, Joshua, Haye etc. Ortiz is the guy no-one really cares about in the division, he's high risk, low reward. Fury is talking about retirement after Wlad.

[Kilrain]

So Haye beats Fury, Ortiz, Wilder, Joshua? Like hell he does.

[IMG]http://gifsec.com/wp-content/uploads/GIF/2014/04/Vladimir-*****-laugh-gif.gif?gs=a[/IMG]

Not saying those guys were killers (although Enzo had one defeat, early in his career, and Mormeck was the division's best), my point was WATCH his performance. The eyeball test is an important gauge of a fighter. It seems to be something that's neglected in the age of keyboard warriors poring over BoxRec and basing all their 'knowledge' on records and social media chat. If you know how to 'watch' boxing, and you can identify skill and ability rather than just blindly watching a 'fight', you can clearly tell good fighters from bad fighters and great fighters from good fighters. I'll give you an example. Fans with no real knowledge of boxing who base their opinions and views on BoxRec and 'accepted internet wisdom' would say Henry Cooper was a BUM. But watch both of his fights with Ali. Eyeball test. His left jab and left hook gave Ali lots of trouble. He was timing Ali very well in both fights. Ali later called him his toughest and best opponent. In terms of the eyeball test, it's obvious he was a very capable fighter, not an all-time great but a very solid boxer with some nice skills. That's something you gauge from the eyeball test that BoxRec doesn't tell you. Boxing fans these days, 99% of the time, are the empty-headed suckers who'd rather post an amusing .gif than actually discuss the sweet science of boxing.

[removed]

He hasn't earned the shot, but to be fair, boxing isn't really about 'earning' the shot nowadays, whether we like it or not, it's about BUSINESS. What the hell did AJ do to 'earn' his shot at the IBF? Tell me that. All he did was fight Dillian Whyte, another unproven contender. He got the shot because of BUSINESS. Because he sells tickets, he's established himself on PPV (apparently) and his team could give Martin a huge payday.

Haye's just fought two nobodies and sold a very respectable number of tickets for both shows. He has a huge fan base, whether you like it or not. Ergo, he represents a huge fight for Joshua money-wise, not to mention a genuine test. He's a former heavyweight champion, quick, athletic, a devastating puncher, experienced, has fought a lot of different styles etc.

Your point that people are backing AJ to beat Fury, and so you are surprised they are picking Haye to beat Joshua, is a confusing one. Haven't you heard the phrase 'styles make fights'? Just because people believe AJ has a style that's all wrong for Fury doesn't preclude them from thinking the same about AJ and Haye, namely that Haye's speed, athleticism, in and out movement, timing and counter punching (not to mention power) will overcome AJ's robotic movements (and suspect chin).

The fact that you think AJ will just get in there and 'flatten' Haye shows your complete ignorance. There's no precedent for this eventuality, Haye's never been flattened in his whole career, having fought Klitschko, Valuev, Chisora etc. He has a very solid chin. At worst, he loses a decision IMO. But personally I think Haye sparks Joshua out inside five rounds. Joshua is stiff and mechanical, Haye is fast, fluid and explosive with superior timing. It's a question of styles, really.

You're under the assumption that Haye is the same fighter he was 5 years ago.

Haye would stink the place out against Joshua, just like how he did against Wladimir & Valuev. I have no interest in watching Haye literally running around the ring.

I'm not doubting his cruserweight credentials, just his heavyweight ones. Haye's best win at HW is Delboy ffs.

[Robbie Barrett]

You're under the assumption that Haye is the same fighter he was 5 years ago.

Haye would stink the place out against Joshua, just like how he did against Wladimir & Valuev. I have no interest in watching Haye literally running around the ring.

I'm not doubting his cruserweight credentials, just his heavyweight ones. Haye's best win at HW is Delboy ffs.

Who's Joshua beat that's better than Chisora and Valuev?

[tiois85]

Absolute duck from Hearn.

Haye is proving that he is a name, and a pull.

So there should be no issue from having this domestic fight except Hearn wants to milk aj and the public by running the con job.

Haye vs aj is a genuine ppv for once.

[Kilrain]

You're under the assumption that Haye is the same fighter he was 5 years ago.

Haye would stink the place out against Joshua, just like how he did against Wladimir & Valuev. I have no interest in watching Haye literally running around the ring.

I'm not doubting his cruserweight credentials, just his heavyweight ones. Haye's best win at HW is Delboy ffs.

Not assuming that at all, reserving judgement till he fights a better opponent, but based on the eyeball test, he still looks very quick and explosive and his timing/footwork looks to be good as well. We all know the last thing to leave a fighter is his power, and he was always a heavy hitter and has just sparked out two opponents in a row (albeit substandard opponents).

Don't agree that he fights the same fight as he did vs those guys, Joshua is raw and mechanical, much more predictable rhythm than Wlad, Haye will look to find openings and detonate the bombs, he is much more likely to find the openings than he was with Wlad, who is an expert at boxing from the outside and nullifying your work, Joshua is much more offensively minded and less well schooled/awkward. Gonna disregard the Valuev fight as the guy weighed like 100lbs heavier than Haye and to box on the outside was the obvious strategy against a man mountain like that, Haye obviously didn't want to get into clinches and wrestle with the guy or risk getting caught by a thudding shot in close.

As another poster said, Haye's HW credentials are superior to Joshua's at this stage, that can't really be argued. Remember Chisora was coming off going 12 hard rounds with Vitali and Haye sparked him in 5 rounds.

[Kilrain]

You're under the assumption that Haye is the same fighter he was 5 years ago.

Haye would stink the place out against Joshua, just like how he did against Wladimir & Valuev. I have no interest in watching Haye literally running around the ring.

I'm not doubting his cruserweight credentials, just his heavyweight ones. Haye's best win at HW is Delboy ffs.

Absolute duck from Hearn.

Haye is proving that he is a name, and a pull.

So there should be no issue from having this domestic fight except Hearn wants to milk aj and the public by running the con job.

Haye vs aj is a genuine ppv for once.

Yep, Hearn's milking the cash cow for all it's worth, they're certainly not serious about fighting Fury either. It's Breazeale, followed by another bum with a good record, followed by Parker, and if he gets past Parker, MAYBE they'll fight Haye or Fury, though they might well take Joshua to the milking parlour once again.

[tiois85]

Yep, Hearn's milking the cash cow for all it's worth, they're certainly not serious about fighting Fury either. It's Breazeale, followed by another bum with a good record, followed by Parker, and if he gets past Parker, MAYBE they'll fight Haye or Fury, though they might well take Joshua to the milking parlour once again.

He is utterly shameless in milking the public, and he is very good and measured with it.

Haye is 3 fights away = I hope haye is off the scene by then.

Haye has excellent pedigree and class, is a crowd puller and most likely a stadium filler fight, which should be a Hearn wet dream, except he is afraid of the aj hype bubble being burst, and maybe worried haye becomes the top dog in the British publics opinion.