David Haye Quitter ?

[Vermilion]

One hard fight and it seems he's gone........big mouth conman who could'nt live up to his own hype....or great champion ?

David Haye has quit ring, says British Boxing Board of Control.

• Board's secretary reveals he was contacted by email
• Haye had said he would retire on his 31st birthday

David Haye appears to have quit boxing after it was reported last night that the former world heavyweight champion has handed in his fight licence.

Haye, who lost his title to Wladimir Klitschko in July, turns 31 on Thursday and always insisted he would not continue to box past his birthday.

Although there has been no official confirmation from Haye, the British Boxing Board of Control secretary, Robert Smith said: "I received an email on Monday advising me Haye would not be carrying on.

"The Board will discuss it on Wednesday but there is no way we could go against his wish not to renew his boxing licence. Without it, he can't fight."

https://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/oct/11/david-haye-quit-boxing?newsfeed=true

[Zapater]

He's hardly a quitter, he's been saying for as long as I remember that he won't fight into his 31st year. Wlad was suppposed to be his swansong but he ****ed it up. He tried to get a final bout with Vitali, but it seems that negotiations were more complicated than expected. Fair enough IMO, yes it's premature but you can't really blame anyone from walking away from boxing with a huge bulge in their pocket and their health intact. Not everyone is Bernard Hopkins who can fight at 47 and it doesn't seem to effect his mental capacity (for the meantime anyhow). It appears walking away and staying away is the most difficult thing but no doubt a wise move.

Thing is, he was the unified cruiserweight champion and held a major heavyweight title for 2 years, he didn't beat Wlad but by today's terms he's a small heavyweight in an era of giants (should abolish the Cruiserweight division to avoid this) where a smaller, faster more exciting fighting gave some reprieve from out of shape 40 American 40 somethings and Eastern European giants.

We'll see if he can stay away, but if you look at things only beating a Kitschko would give him more credibility. He could beat all the Adamek's, Chagaev's and Arreloa's in the world and that wouldn't really prove much. If he got the Vitali fight and lost (which IMO he very well could, I prefer him to Wlad) his reputation would plunder further.

David Haye like it or not was one of the most exciting bigger men left in the sport. His heavy hands, combination power and ability to talk **** made him stand out. I'll never forget the time he rocked Valuev and almost dropped him. Him blasting out Enzo Mac was hilarious too, especially after Enzo Calzaghe was so arrogant.

[badpiggy]

He hasn't been the same since he failed to pick up diminutive street magician Dynamo.

[Vermilion]

Tbh, imo, untill he met Wlad he had'nt really achieved all that much, yes he earned a load of cash, yes he held titles, but imo he was lucky to be boxing in an era of mediocrity.

Yes you can only beat what's in front of you, but imo...untill he got infront of Wlad, he did'nt have that much to beat.

[Alex]

What else could he have done though? He was a Cruiser fighting at heavyweight. He dominated his division, but was too small for the one above. I applaud him for getting out early. Look what happened to Calzagi and Hatton. Mind you, Hatton isnt really 'old' either.

I just hope he doesnt try his hand at MMA. He would get murdered there.

[Vermilion]

What else could he have done though? He was a Cruiser fighting at heavyweight. He dominated his division, but was too small for the one above. I applaud him for getting out early. Look what happened to Calzagi and Hatton. Mind you, Hatton isnt really 'old' either.

I just hope he doesnt try his hand at MMA. He would get murdered there.

Exactly, Boxing at these weights has gone to ****, a mixture of oversized dumb freaks and overhyped big mouths.

edit: I'm not even sure he ever thought he could beat Wlad, it was all about the money, and conning the public into believing and paying, it just looked to me like he went into that fight with the intention of not getting hurt, pick up the cash and goodbye, and he even had an excuse for losing ready and waiting.

[Zapater]

Exactly, Boxing at these weights has gone to ****, a mixture of oversized dumb freaks and overhyped big mouths.

edit: I'm not even sure he ever thought he could beat Wlad, it was all about the money, and conning the public into believing and paying, it just looked to me like he went into that fight with the intention of not getting hurt, pick up the cash and goodbye, and he even had an excuse for losing ready and waiting.

I think he could tbh. The odds are against him, but Wlad has been knocked down a lot of times. He looks generally unhappy when he gets hit, he was flustered a few times in the Haye fight, he's a good tactician and has a fantastic jab, but a chin, he does not have.

The broken toe excuse was ridiculous and Haye has to lose credibility for that, but he didn't follow up his shots with more punches when Wlad was backed up, if he did and connected with his best shots, no doubt he'd go down.

On the weight subject, Cruiserweight shouldn't exist. I know it's handy to bridge the gap between small heavyweights, but it's just created boredom by eliminating quicker, more exciting fighters from the division. There's not too much difference between the best historic heavyweights and the blown up cruisers when you take their size into account. Ali, Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, Rocky Marciano, Joe Louis etc (Who I'd like to think would beat the current champs) were all shorter and for the most part the same weight if not lighter than Haye. And definitely a lot smaller than Evander Holyfield who was the original "blown up Cruiserweight". John Conteh had quite a number of bouts at heavyweight ffs. This new age idea of a "true heavyweight" is definitely warped. Although if we look at the other light heavies/cruisers none of them would stand a chance against Wlad and Vitali unfortunately due to lack of skill and size differential.

But, who really cares, the best P4P fighters in the world are and always will be between lightweight and super middleweight and that's where the excitement is.

[Vermilion]

I think he could tbh. The odds are against him, but Wlad has been knocked down a lot of times. He looks generally unhappy when he gets hit, he was flustered a few times in the Haye fight, he's a good tactician and has a fantastic jab, but a chin, he does not have.

The broken toe excuse was ridiculous and Haye has to lose credibility for that, but he didn't follow up his shots with more punches when Wlad was backed up, if he did and connected with his best shots, no doubt he'd go down.

On the weight subject, Cruiserweight shouldn't exist. I know it's handy to bridge the gap between small heavyweights, but it's just created boredom by eliminating quicker, more exciting fighters from the division. There's not too much difference between the best historic heavyweights and the blown up cruisers when you take their size into account. Ali, Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, Rocky Marciano, Joe Louis etc (Who I'd like to think would beat the current champs) were all shorter and for the most part the same weight if not lighter than Haye. And definitely a lot smaller than Evander Holyfield who was the original "blown up Cruiserweight". John Conteh had quite a number of bouts at heavyweight ffs. This new age idea of a "true heavyweight" is definitely warped. Although if we look at the other light heavies/cruisers none of them would stand a chance against Wlad and Vitali unfortunately due to lack of skill and size differential.

But, who really cares, the best P4P fighters in the world are and always will be between lightweight and super middleweight and that's where the excitement is.

But i used to get excited about heavy weight bouts many moons ago, now between that division and cruiser it all seems a bit of a sham, maybe i've just got a little older and wiser, and see through all the hype in a way i never used to.

[PTP]

i wouldn't say he was a quitter at all...

he had a pretty good career at cruiserweight - unified world champion - in any sport (or weightclass in boxing) to be a world champion you have to somewhere along the line, done something right.

But, other than boxing fans, Haye wasn't a household name, and he knew it - and the only way that was going to happen was stepping up to the more known/followed heavyweight, which is a pretty boring division with only two top fighters who won't fight each other

so he stepped up, won some fights, made a bit of noise, made a name for himself, won a heavyweight world title, became famous and ****ing minted....and then had a go at one of the two top fighters around...

it was ultimatley too big a step but you can't criticise him for stepping up and having a go. Yeah he maybe overstepped the mark with the hype/build up

and well there is nowhere for him to go now - he could have a go at the other klitchsko but he'd probably get beat again.....no-one else around worht fighting, he's got his health, he's won big titles, he's earnt a **** load of cash....i'm sure he's pretty happy to retire now.

[Shaggy]

Had a very good career and retiring with all faculties in tact at a young age - how many other boxers do that? Fair play to him - beats desperately fighting on into his 40s.

[Buzzo]

I actually kind of respect Haye for this decision.

He has wealth and health. If he doesn't think he can get or win the fights he needs, then what is the point?

The more times he steps into the ring the more chance of permanently damagin his health.
After the fight where he danced with, cuddled and tickled Audrey Harrison for 6 or so rounds before tapping him on the chin in the round all his mate had bet on him to win in I kind of lost interest in the whole affair.

[Shaggy]

Three rounds wasn't it.

[Alex]

Ha Ha yea, I remember that. He said after he told everyone he knew to bet on the 3rd round. Could have been him showing off.

[PTP]

that was a ridiculous fight - should never have happened - harrison is a ****ing joke - a bum, who the only reason i can see that he made a name for himself is that he vaguely looked like lennox lewis.

i remember early on, when harrison first turned pro, and signed with the bbc - i thought hmm i'll watch him, see what the 'hype' was about after the olympics - he scrapped through his first few fights then he fought a ****ing pub bouncer! it was a 6 round fight and this bouncer literlaly found out about the fight like two weeks before and took it - he ****ing had a good go too - think iirc correctly it went the distance (6 rounds) - harrison got slaughtered for it, for all his talk of what he wanted to be and achieve, he should have been knocking bums like that out in a couple rounds...

i've never seen harrison actually fight with any meaning.

[Buzzo]

Three rounds wasn't it.

3 rounds... You're right. This would explain why I shouldn't bet.