Haye vs Valuev

The Chav versus the Champion

In the world of boxing trash talking is an art. The entertainment that accompanies the pre fight buildup. The sparring outside the ring that helps add that extra "punch" to the subsequent physical battle that follows.

Psychologists believe that within every "trash-talker" hides a fragile, insecure athlete trying to talk some confidence into his own brittle resolve. However I firmly believe that the best talkers use it as a method of promoting themselves.

Throughout the last 50 years this learned skill has been adopted by many world class fighters. Mohammad Ali perfected the art and hand-in-hand he raised the financial stakes of the sport. His lip service greatly increased the interest in super fights, thus developing the need for promotion, media attention, entertainment and viewing numbers.

Ali's pregame wit was all in good nature and presented with a wink and a good dose of charm. Sledging is an art-form that requires not only class and wit but also a certain level of intellect.
And this is where David Haye falls way, way short.

David Haye has no class. He is engaging for all the wrong reasons. Granted, Valuev almost toppled off the other end of the spectrum, being undeniably boring apart from his awesome size.
However Haye's unappetising way of pestering his opponent (without any reaction from Valuev it has to be said) before the fight is utterly embarrassing.

BBC sports reporter Ben Dirs claims this oppinion (shared by many) is hypocritical stating many of Ali's public outbursts were just as slanderous and offensive. He goes on to say that those who find Haye's antics pathetic "...can't have it both ways, bemoaning the low profile of boxing while simultaneously chastising a fighter like Haye who creates a buzz."

I wholeheartedly disagree with that comment purely based on the difference in intellectual substance of each of the 2 fighters. Yes the heavyweight division needs a face-lift but not a face-lift from this common clown whom, listening to, I could easily mistake for one of the chavs hanging around my local buss stop. He has no class, doesn't possess any intellectual wit and has nothing interesting to say. If you want to spice up the division do it with a touch of grace and swagger, not with a t-shirt of severed heads and a pathetic dressed up impersonator of your opponent at press conferences. Even "Money Man" Mayweather has a bunch more class than this guy.

Hence I hope Goliath squashes David and shuts him up for good because if he is supposed to represent the new age heavyweight, I'd rather wait a few more years!