James Slater – Say what you want about David Haye, the new WBA heavyweight champion, but he sure is one of the hottest commodities in world boxing right now. Proving beyond any doubt he is an attraction in Europe, Haye pulled in close to a million Sky T.V pay-per-view sales for his winning fight with Nikolai Valuev. And, according to various reports, the big money offers have been pouring in ever since.
Golden Boy promoter Richard Schaefer, as quoted by Mirror Sport, says Haye has the stuff needed to win over the at present still lukewarm American fans, as well as bring major heavyweight title fight excitement to the Las Vegas strip – which has not enjoyed a huge, bright lights major attraction of a world heavyweight title clash for some time..
According to the Mirror article, bosses at prestigious Vegas venue The MGM Grand have already made contact with Golden Boy, Haye’s U.S promotional outfit. They want him to fight at The MGM, and Haye has also been invited to be a ringside guest at this Saturday’s massive Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto super-fight.
Haye, it seems, has the world at his feet. But can he do as Schaefer says and win over the American fans as well as make the gazzilions of dollars that are out there for him? Can Haye remain unbeaten long enough to cash in? There has also been interest in Haye fighting one of the two currently all-conquering Klitschko brothers at Wembley, in London, and if he takes that route, we will not see how Haye would fair in front of a U.S audience.
Schaefer says that if Haye does fight a Klitschko in Vegas, the fight could smash all money records.
“It’s been a while since we had a big heavyweight title fight in Las Vegas and David could change all that,” Schaefer said. “He has the talent and the charisma to win over the American public. This is a new time for the heavyweight division and it’s great it has a charismatic champion. Our hopes and prayers have been answered.”
The dollar signs are clearly very much in the former Swiss banker’s eyes: and who can blame him? If things go to plan, Haye does have the potential, as exciting and as outspoken as he can be, to really shift some tickets and get vast numbers of fans tuning in on pay-per-view in the U.S.
Not since the days of Lennox Lewis has a British heavyweight lit up the Vegas strip to the extent that all the high rollers and the A-list celebrities were craving a ringside seat – and Lewis, as great as he was, was no real charisma-filled guy. Haye is, and there could well be some great, sparkling nights ahead for the division he has won a belt in as a result.
First, though, Haye must get past John Ruiz – a fighter who has never had the word exciting placed next to his name. But should he get past his mandatory contender – wherever the fight is held, most likely London next Spring – Haye will be able to choose from a number of lucrative options.
The big gamble of a fight with “The Russian Giant” worked to a tee. Did Haye know what he was doing all along?