Haye V Vitali: Will it happen?

 

By Michael Muncaster

 

The pace of a proposed grudge match between David Haye and Vitali Klitschko is quickening with the Ukrainian vowing to shut the Londoner up once and for all, but does the Brit have much relevance in the heavyweight division anymore?

 

 

Klitschko only needed ten rounds to demolish Tomasz Adamek in his latest conquest and was never really tested by the Pole.

 

 

And we all know Haye’s story. The Brit expressed an inane confidence in how he would shake up the heavyweight division but failed to deliver providing a lack-luster performance in Hamburg.

 

 

So could Haye really convince us to fork out pay-per-view money again in an attempt to prolong his feud with the Ukrainian brothers and fight for heavyweight supremacy?

 

 

The grudge match aspect would certainly generate interest, with an air of unfinished business expressed in Vitali’s post-fight interviews.

 

 

That famous t-shirt, with Haye standing on the bodies of the brothers holding their decapitated heads, still angers ‘Doctor Iron Fist’ and he has a desire to settle the family score for good.

 

 

After all, it was Vitali who lost his cool in the fiery exchanges earlier in the year, taking the microphone and taunting Haye to attend the post-fight press conference. Wladimir remained calm, whilst the WBC champion reacted to the Brit’s harsh words clearly demonstrating he had got under his skin.

 

 

So for arguments sake, if a bout with the WBC champion materialises would the boxing world eagerly anticipate Haye’s return the heavyweight scene?

 

 

Vitali’s decade of dominance has endured the same imposing ring style of his younger sibling, holding the centre of the ring and breaking down their adversary with their hard-hitting jabs before knocking out opponents with the vicious right hand.

 

 

For Haye to have any chance of convincing the public he can redeem his lose in July, it is not a problem of self-belief, something the Londoner has in abundance, just the question of finding the right tactics to employ against Klitschko.

 

 

Within ‘The Hayemaker’s’ corner, the huge assumption was the former cruiserweight champion could defeat someone who is, let’s face the overwhelming weight of evidence, superior in skills and the much bigger man at heavyweight.

 

 

The reality was Haye wasn’t so much beaten by Wladimir, but dismantled piece by piece, failing to get close enough to the Ukrainian and impose any of his haymakers he had duly promised to do so building up to the fight. A result many are predicting will repeat itself.

 

 

But maybe this bout for the Brit is not about relevance. After all let’s face it, only in the lack-luster heavyweight division could a fighter come off such a devastating loss and be launched right back into title contention.

 

 

Vitali is still stoking the fire Haye lit under him and his brother for the past few years now and is keen to extinguish the feud and Haye’s career once and for all.

 

 

And after all, ‘The Hayemaker’ still remains the biggest draw for the Klitschko’s in the division, with no rising stars eager to remove the brothers from their perch.

 

 

Forget titles and heavyweight supremacy, the chip on the Ukrainian’s shoulder makes for a mouth watering prospect.

 

 

A change of tactics and pre-fight dress code would be needed if Haye has any chance of convincing us he can create a different outcome this time round, but with so much passion and tension in this feud, boxing fans would undoubtedly become emotionally invested in the bout as we embark on the possible final chapter of the Haye/Klitschko dispute.