27 January 2010

DAVID HAYE CONFIRMS HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE DEFENCE AGAINST RUIZ
David Haye's world heavyweight title defence against John Ruiz has been confirmed to take place on home soil at Manchester's MEN Arena on 3 April.

Despite breaking his hand in taking the WBA title from Nikolai Valuev in November, Haye told FitPro in an exclusive interview that he had plenty of time to recover and would be ready for his mandatory defence against the two-time former WBA holder Ruiz.

Excited to be fighting in the UK after much speculation that his next fight would be staged in Las Vegas, Haye has promised British fans he will knock out the American in spectacular fashion.

Speaking at a press conference, Haye added: "It's been 10 years since the heavyweight championship has been fought in Britain and everyone knows I had to go to Germany to take the title away from Nikolai Valuev.

"This fight is a completely different animal compared to the Valuev fight. He's the same size as me, he's a lot faster than my previous opponent. I think what I did against Valuev wouldn't really be enough against Ruiz.

"He's a pressure fighter and he's not going to try and out-box me. He'd be mad to try and do that. I expect him to do what he does in most of his fights and that is get close, try and rough me up. But I feel that no matter what he brings to the table, I will find some way to counter-act that and not only beat him, but beat him spectacularly and knock him out."

However, trainer Adam Booth - who has been working alongside Haye to develop Outbox™, the boxing training course for fitness professionals - added they would be taking nothing for granted.

9 November 2009

HAYE SLAYS BEAST FROM THE EAST
Pundits had predicted a "David and Goliath" bout, but the battle between David Haye and Nikolai Valuev for the heavyweight crown turned out to be more "clash of the titans", with Haye scooping an historic victory on points.

The "beast from the east" - as Russian fighter Valuev has been nick-named - may have towered nine inches over Haye before the fight, but he was a cowed man at its end, when the London-born boxer became WBA heavyweight world champion at Nuremberg, Germany on 7 Nov.

The fight lasted 12 rounds despite Haye having broken a bone in his right hand in just the second round. He was awarded victory on scores of 116-112, 114-114 and 116-112.

Haye now faces a mandatory fight against American boxer John Ruiz, which is likely to take place in London in March. The typically confident Bermondsey boxer has already forecast a knockout win against Ruiz even though his broken hand will delay a return to training.

Haye is only the second boxer since Evander Holyfield to have lifted both cruiserweight and heavyweight belts.

30 October 2009

ANGELO DUNDEE: MY WARNING TO HAYE
Muhammad Ali's trainer, Angelo Dundee, joins the David Haye-Nikolay Valuev pre-fight fray with a warning for the "sensational" British boxer.

Dundee, who spoke to FitPro ahead of the fight said: "David Haye is a sensational fighter, and this fight's gonna be a real 'David and Goliath' battle.

"But if David gives that guy any part of his jaw he'll flatten him, because Valuev is that kind of puncher."

At 88, Dundee is still training boxers and advises on many high profile professional fights, but he's best known as Muhammad Ali's cornerman.

With the fight scheduled for 7 November and to be broadcast live exclusively on Sky Box Office, 28-year-old former world cruiserweight champion Haye will fight Russian fighter Valuev (36), the tallest and heaviest world champion of all time.

Like Ali, Haye is not shy in speaking out before a fight: "I'm gonna go into the beast's lair to rip the world title off that 7'2 freak show and show the world that the heavyweight champion is from Britain," he told FitPro.

If Haye overcomes the eight stones and nine inches that Valuev has over him, it will make him the first British world heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis.

Haye, who also leads on boxing training through his Outbox™ programme, will be taking his first shot at a world title in only his second bout as a heavyweight at the Nuremberg Arena, Germany. Valuev is current WBA champion.

23 July 2009

DAVID HAYE-KLITSCHKO FIGHT BITES THE DUST
Negotiations to fight the Klitschkos are off, with Haye now announced to fight Russian Nikolai Valuev.

In another dramatic twist in the road to the heavyweight crown, David Haye has announced he will fight Valuev in November.

The world cruiserweight champion was due to fight first Wladimir and then sibling Vitali Klitschko in fights which have been rescheduled multiple times this year.

In his quest to become the first boxer to hold both the undisputed cruiserweight and heavyweight titles since Evander Holyfield, Haye will now face Valuev, “the beast from the East” - all 7 feet and 23 stones of him.

Haye - who famously taunted the Klitschkos with a T-shirt showing Wladimir’s decapitated head - told press that he had been “disrespected” by the brothers, and that rumours of a September fight were never true.

Still scheduled to take place in Germany, now on 7 November, the location for the Haye-Valuev fight has yet to be named. Watch this space for doubtless further updates.

15 July 2009

HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER DAVID HAYE STILL ON THE HUNT FOR KLITSCHKO HEAD
Intense negotiations with the Klitschko camp mean that David Haye will now fight Vitali instead of Wladimir, to challenge for the world heavyweight title.

Haye confirmed that he is fit to face either of the two brothers after recovering from the back injury which took him out of his showdown with Wladimir in Germany on 20 June. He said: “The back is fine. I can’t wait for the fight to be announced and the deal to be sorted out.”

David Haye’s world heavyweight bid is on the cards again after he and Vitali Klitschko “have come to terms” to agree a fight scheduled for 12 September.

After claiming not to have a preference over which of the two Klitschko brothers he fights, he will now face Vitali after pulling out of his title bid against younger brother Wladimir in June. Vitali, 37, will be defending his WBC belt for the second time, with a record of 37-2 with 36 knockouts. At 28, Haye’s record stands at 22-1, 21 KOs – though most have been at cruiserweight.

Details of the venue, which is expected to be in Germany, will be confirmed next week.

3 June 2009

DAVID HAYE-KLITSCHKO FIGHT POSTPONED
The much-hyped boxing bout between Britain’s David Haye and Wladimir Klitschko on June 20 has been postponed.

Undisputed cruiserweight champion Haye made a shock withdrawal from the heavyweight title fight following a training injury.

The fight, scheduled for the Gelsenkirchen later this month, may be rescheduled, but delays of up to eight weeks look likely.

27 April 2009

ALL GLOVED-UP: CHARITIES BENEFIT AS HAYE MEMORABILIA PAYS IT FORWARD
David Haye has taken time out from baiting Ukranian Wladimir Klitschko ahead of their impending world heavyweight bout to support the children's charity Access Sport.

A boxing glove signed by Haye at the annual FitPro Spring Convention in Loughborough (17-19 April) has raised £426.17 for the charity. Conference delegates desperate to win a piece of boxing history were inspired by Haye's keynote speech, during which he also premiered his line in boxing training, Outbox™.

Winner member David Ward (48, Glasgow) was delighted: "I've never won anything before - I've even entered a raffle with just two other people and didn't win!" He plans to auction the gloves at a Les Mills instructor weekend to raise money for local charity, Cash for Kids.

FitPro director Andy Jackson said: "We're delighted David's been able to join us at Convention this year ahead of his historic fight. Knowing the gloves are going to raise even more money at another FitPro event is fantastic."

This summer's impending clash of titans has already made headlines, with Haye having been snapped sporting a T-shirt showing him holding the decapitated heads of the Klitschko brothers. The fight is scheduled for 20 June 2009 at Germany's Veltins-Arena in front of up to 70,000 fans.

19 April 2009

HAYE GIVES KLITSCHKO THE HEADS-UP
Boxer David Haye is feeling fired up about his heavyweight fight with Wladimir Klitschko on 20 June in Veltins-Arena, Germany.

Speaking exclusively at the FitPro Spring Convention this month, David said: "There aren't any great American boxers out there at the moment, so this should catapult me to superstar status in the States."

Delivering the convention's keynote speech, David said his heavyweight battle doesn't faze him as he's been preparing all his life – literally. His party piece at the age of two (when he was already convinced he'd be world heavyweight champ) was showing his dad's friends how hard he could punch them.

Winning the title will make Haye only the second person ever to become the undisputed champion at both cruiserweight and heavyweight – a distinction first achieved by Evander Holyfield in 1988.

Wearing a graphic t-shirt of himself holding the bloody heads of the Klitschko brothers, David said: "I'm always coming out with silly ideas like the t-shirt that get people's attention – that's what boxing needs."

David was at the convention with his trainer Adam Booth to showcase Outbox™ to the fitness industry.

February 2009
With the IBF/WBO/IBO heavyweight crown on the line, has David Haye’s pre-fight trash talk gone to Wladimir Klitschko’s head?

After undisputed world cruiserweight Haye (28) was pictured in a British magazine holding a gory mock-up of Wladimir’s severed head, the Ukranian heavyweight has been champing at the bit to fight The Hayemaker at Stamford Bridge, London on June 20.

Brothers Wladimir and Vitali had notoriously flipped a coin – just as Haye earlier suggested – to decide which of them would do battle in what’s becoming a historic and much-hyped fight.

"It was my head Haye was holding,” Wladimir has been reported as saying, “so it's my fight."

Whether David makes hay out of “Dr Steel Hammer”, as Klitschko styles himself, remains to be seen – we’ll keep you posted.

November 2008
“Flip a coin, I don’t care”. Those were David “The Hayemaker” Haye’s words when asked which of the Klitschko brothers he wanted to meet in a heavyweight world title showdown.

Haye barely paused for air after defeating Monte Barratt in five rounds in London this month before making a call on his fraternal preferences.

Wladimir Klitschko (32) is holder of the in IBF and WBO titles while older brother Vitali (37) holds the WBC belt.

A fight could take place in the spring of 2009 in either Germany or England.

October 2008
David Haye and Adam Booth are confirmed presenters at the year’s biggest fitness industry event – the FitPro Spring Convention in April 2009.

The Outbox™ concept will be demonstrated at the convention, which features hundreds of workshops, seminars and classes by the world’s leading industry experts.