Haye-Ruiz a go for April 3 in Manchester
by Scott Christ on Jan 26, 2010 6:27 PM EST
in Boxing News Analysis
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As expected, WBA heavyweight titlist David Haye will make the first defense of his belt when he takes on veteran American and former titlist John Ruiz on April 3. The fight will emanate from Manchester's MEN Arena, rather than London as previously expected.
Oscar de la Hoya had this pearl:
"With his explosive fighting style, heart, youth and charisma, David Haye is the most exciting heavyweight in the world."
So natural. So natural.
Anyway, Haye had this to say:
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 Nikolay Valuev. Now it's time to showcase my skills again in front of the great British public. And I'm delighted to have the fight at Manchester's MEN Arena. I've been there on many nights to watch Ricky Hatton, Joe Calzaghe, even Mike Tyson, and the atmosphere was always tremendous. I'm looking forward to getting back to what I do best - throwing my trademark 'Hayemakers'."
This is sure to be a Sky Box Office event in the UK, and I'm hoping there's an afternoon PPV imported to the States. If Golden Boy could get Integrated involved (the company that does many of the overseas PPV shows, such as Valuev-Haye, Valuevy-Holyfield, Khan-Barrera, etc.), it might be possible, but given that Golden Boy tends to want to run their own ship away from HBO, they'd probably be producing it themselves, which would mean two pay-per-view events on the same day, as Hopkins-Jones II is going to be that evening from Las Vegas. So we'll see.
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Hopkins-Jones II = yawn
"If you sit there and watch a person take about an hour to tie his shoestrings, then you realize that whatever problems you got ain't that significant"
---Vernon Forrest 2006
by The Midnight Rambler on Jan 26, 2010 6:38 PM EST reply actions
Is Khan fighting on the undercard of Hopkins-Jones II? Could be good night for the British
"It's just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up." - Ali
It looks like it’s leaning toward that not happening.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Jan 26, 2010 6:58 PM EST up reply actions
I suppose it makes sense for Haye to fight and defeat Ruiz……RJones did it as well. Otherwise, who cares? I mean really who beside die hard Hayes fans (all 45 of them) would pay for this sort of thing. Or even watch it. Not Hayes’ fault…it’s Ruiz that is the problem. He is not an entertaining boxer. Personally I’d rather Haye fight Adamek, or Povetkin, or some other decent Eastern European (they are pretty much interchangeable), or even a Sam Peter. Those would be more entertaining and more of a challenge. And worth a PPV.
Peter would be good
"If you sit there and watch a person take about an hour to tie his shoestrings, then you realize that whatever problems you got ain't that significant"
---Vernon Forrest 2006
by The Midnight Rambler on Jan 26, 2010 8:52 PM EST up reply actions
You are only thinking about America I see
In Britain Haye is massive with the casual fans and most sports fans across the board. He was remarkably well promoted here for his Valuev fight and now I reckon more people know him than Froch.
Also Ruiz is his mandatory and Haye really does need that belt for both his British popularity and leverage over future fight negotiations.
"Honey i forgot to duck" - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on Jan 27, 2010 5:45 AM EST up reply actions
Not Hayes’ fault…it’s Ruiz that is the problem. He is not an entertaining boxer.
What’s the last Ruiz fight you saw?
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Jan 27, 2010 7:51 AM EST up reply actions
Haye will win hands down.
Ruiz always has trouble with smaller quicker fighters ie..Roy Jones. Haye may even KO him. But I would like to see the winner of this fight vs the winner of WK/Chambers on HBO.
Ruiz always has trouble with smaller quicker fighters ie..Roy Jones.
Well…that is one of the 53 fights on his record sheet. Haye is also taller than Ruiz and they’ll probably be within 10 pounds or so of one another on the scales.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Jan 27, 2010 7:53 AM EST up reply actions
Haye will win
If he turns up with the right tactics and mental game. He is skilled enough to KO Ruiz but if he boxes the way he did against Valuev then he will probably lose apoints decision.
"Honey i forgot to duck" - Jack Dempsey
Only thinking about America I see/Entertaining fighter
I was only winding you up about Haye’s popularity…I know he is popular in the UK.
Regarding Ruiz….I’ve seen parts of most of his last 14 fights going back to Holyfield. He is not entertaining. We must have different definitions of entertainment. I don’t have a short attention span, but I can’t take more than a couple rounds of any of his fights, which to me are sleep inducing. But whatever, we can agree to disagree.
I’m not saying he’s exciting, but he doesn’t do all the hugging and clinching he used to. He actually comes to fight now. A lot of people think he still fights like he did seven or eight years ago. He doesn’t.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Jan 27, 2010 6:46 PM EST up reply actions
Ruiz is a fighter that has been a punchline to so many boring fight jokes for so long that I often wonder if 2/3s of the people making the cracks and assumptions these days have even seen him fight. Yes he used to be extremely boring and has only improved to slightly boring, but people don’t seem to realize that he’s actually a good fighter. He has wins over Rahman, Holyfield, Golota, and, in my view, a very impressive stoppage win over Fres Oquendo. He proved to be about equal to pre-hepatitis Chagaev, and he lost twice against Valuev in borderline robberies. Hell, he looked better than Haye did against Valuev.
Dismiss those names from elite accomplishment status if you’d like, but it isn’t like Hayemaker has anything near the experience at this level. Haye also doesn’t have near the defense of Jones Jr or Toney, and that is what gave Ruiz nightmares from quicker fighters. I don’t view this as anything more than a toss up fight.
The make this sound far more interesting
Than I was expecting it to be. I’m looking forward to it quite a lot more now!
"Honey i forgot to duck" - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on Jan 27, 2010 4:50 PM EST up reply actions
Ruiz won't hesitate in telling you he's got an all new fighting style, minus the greco wrestling.
Anybody willing to take me up on a wager that John Ruiz will release the same old quote that he still finds funny today “You know, boxing is the only sport where you can get robbed without a gun” — look it up, every pre-fight press conference!
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