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Holyfield queries Haye experience


The_budweiser
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Evander Holyfield has questioned David Haye's heavyweight credentials ahead of the Londoner's bout against WBA champion Nikolay Valuev in November.

 

Like Haye, Holyfield was an undisputed cruiserweight champion before moving up to claim the heavyweight crown.

 

Unlike Haye, who has had just one tune-up bout at heavyweight, Holyfield had six before fighting for a world title.

 

"We're different, I didn't have one fight and then get my opportunity," Holyfield told BBC Sport.

 

"I moved up in 1988 and had six fights in two years before I was finally ranked number one and got the opportunity to fight the winner of Mike Tyson-Buster Douglas.

 

"When people try to compare David Haye to me, I say, 'wait a minute, I fought six heavyweights and beat them, they didn't make me number one contender straightaway'.

 

"I fought my way in to prove I could win the heavyweight title. I fought more as a heavyweight than I did in any other division.

 

"David Haye only fought one fight, and it will only tell you how good he is by how well he does in the fight against Valuev.

 

"He's a very skilful fighter, but he's moving up to the heavyweight division and he's fighting against a giant, a guy who's 100lb heavier and has a huge reach advantage."

 

The 47-year-old Holyfield, the only man to win a heavyweight title four times, fought Valuev last December, losing on points when many observers felt he should have been awarded the decision.

 

Haye has fought as a heavyweight on three occasions, but only once since relinquishing his cruiserweight belts, against American Monte Barrett last November.

 

Haye, 28, knocked Barrett out in the fifth round, but did not have it all his own way, finding himself on the canvas at the start of round five.

 

He will come up against the 7ft 2in Russian at the Nuremberg Arena on 7 November, and Holyfield has not ruled out fighting him should he emerge victorious.

 

"I'll be fighting in November and hopefully in February or March I'll be fighting for a world title," said Holyfield.

 

"It's not a dream, it's a reality, it just hasn't happened yet. If I become world champion I won't fight him [Haye], but if he gets the belt first I will.

 

"I just need to go and do what I need to do and then I can sit down, and everyone can be happy, because obviously nobody's happy with me standing up.

 

"I'm just saying, why don't you let me fight for the title! And in February or March, there's a good chance that might happen."

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evander has a good point. i know that in america, many of us consider haye as a joke. yeah he was a good cruiserweight, but he has proven nothing at heavyweight to deserve a title shot. a win even against one of the russians (chagaev, maskaev, ibragimov) would have at least given him enough credibility to be ranked within the top 10 @ HW. i suppose valuev is basically on the level with those other russians though because the klitschkos are the champs, valuev is just a contender even though he has a belt IMO
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evander has a good point. i know that in america, many of us consider haye as a joke. yeah he was a good cruiserweight, but he has proven nothing at heavyweight to deserve a title shot. a win even against one of the russians (chagaev, maskaev, ibragimov) would have at least given him enough credibility to be ranked within the top 10 @ HW. i suppose valuev is basically on the level with those other russians though because the klitschkos are the champs, valuev is just a contender even though he has a belt IMO

 

if your british no matter who you are the americans are never happy , they think if you are that good you should fight in the us, yeah theres prob more money in the us but theres alot of good boxing arenas across europe with high attendances and better atmospheres . i agree he has did nothing to get a shot at the title , he should of worked his way up the british/european quickly which he could of done by now easily. i also dont blame the americans for not likeing him hes a cocky fighter, i dont like his mouth either but take that away and hes a really good strong fighter. can he be top dog in the divison i dont know , only time will tell

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Evander is technically wrong as David Haye has had 4 fights at Heavyweight - only 2 in recent years.

 

Evander does make good points and I've echoed them myself many times in the past. One reason Haye is being fast tracked is the complete lack of depth in the division now. I'm sure if it was Evander fighting now stepping up from Cruiser he wouldn't have 6 fights first. Also the Holyfield of back then would have breezed through the current champions.

 

People can say how the Klitschko's have great jabs and control their opponents - true of the current crop of Heavyweights but people like 'Prime' Tyson, Lennox and Holyfield don't sit back for 12 rounds and let you dictate the pace - also those Heavyweights will get past the Klit jab and close the space and unload.

 

Truth be told I'd be more worried about Haye fighting Alex Stewart, as Holyfield did, than Valuev. All Adam Booth has too do is get decent sparring and concentrate on Haye's stamina rather than his skills. Valuev is not easy to beat but he is not unbeatable.

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evander has a good point. i know that in america, many of us consider haye as a joke. yeah he was a good cruiserweight, but he has proven nothing at heavyweight to deserve a title shot. a win even against one of the russians (chagaev, maskaev, ibragimov) would have at least given him enough credibility to be ranked within the top 10 @ HW. i suppose valuev is basically on the level with those other russians though because the klitschkos are the champs, valuev is just a contender even though he has a belt IMO

 

if your british no matter who you are the americans are never happy , they think if you are that good you should fight in the us, yeah theres prob more money in the us but theres alot of good boxing arenas across europe with high attendances and better atmospheres . i agree he has did nothing to get a shot at the title , he should of worked his way up the british/european quickly which he could of done by now easily. i also dont blame the americans for not likeing him hes a cocky fighter, i dont like his mouth either but take that away and hes a really good strong fighter. can he be top dog in the divison i dont know , only time will tell

 

 

goodp//

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agree with welshdevilrob

 

totally agree with what welshdevilrob says.

There was a lot of competition when holyfield moved up there isnt now.

I would have liked to see Haye have one more fight before challenging for a title but he seems confident so only time will tell.

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