Boxing

DAVID'S DIARY

Comments (0)

7 January 2008

David Haye writes exclusively for the ‘News’

The fight everybody wanted to happen is now finally happening. David Haye versus Enzo Maccarinelli for the WBC, WBA and WBO world cruiserweight titles will go ahead on March 8 at a British venue somewhere yet to be confirmed. It is a fight that has been discussed and picked apart by boxing fans for about three or four years now and, given that that one of us holds the undisputed cruiserweight titles, the timing could not be better for the fight to become a reality.

After I defeated Jean-Marc Mormeck last November to pick up the WBC/WBA titles I planned on leaving Maccarinelli behind and moving towards the heavyweight division. It's always been hard for me to make the cruiserweight limit (14 st 4 lbs) and there were opportunities at heavyweight which excited me. Nevertheless, wherever I'd go, people - whether boxing fans or not - would always ask me when I was going to knock out Enzo Maccarinelli. That was the fight and the opponent that meant something to them. It was a big deal. It felt like it was building into the Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn rivalry for the new millennium.

Although I planned on moving to heavyweight immediately after knocking out Mormeck in Paris, I've now decided to stick around at cruiserweight for one final fight. In order for me to do this, the final fight had to be one that excited me. This contest with Maccarinelli does just that. He's a popular, big puncher from Wales with as many weaknesses as he has strengths. Enzo's been built up as some major force and I'm looking to make a mockery of the hype he's received when we clash on March 8.

A fight with Maccarinelli is the only remaining bout at cruiserweight that appeals to me. Take me out of the equation and Maccarinelli is the next best fighter in the division. He hasn't beaten many, if any, world-class contenders and has been heavily protected from day one, but you can't argue with the way he has beaten who has been put in front of him.

It's fair to say, though, that while I stepped up to the elite level against Mormeck in France, Maccarinelli will be stepping up to the elite level for the first time against me in March. This will be the first time he's tasted the leather of someone with just as much ambition as himself and with better punch power and speed. I've boxed Maccarinelli's upright, European style many, many times before as both a world-class amateur and a world-class professional. Can Enzo say the same about me?

If Maccarinelli or his team are relying on me struggling to make the weight for this fight, they can forget that, too. Though it would be more comfortable for me to be making my heavyweight debut on March 8, there is plenty of incentive for me to make 14 stone 4 lbs for one final time. I haven't been out of the gym since beating Mormeck in November, and am not a million miles away from the 14st 4lbs limit even now.

Ultimately, a fight like this is worth delaying my heavyweight adventure for. Too often in boxing a showdown like this one would not happen. There would be a million and one excuses from both sides as to why the fight should not go ahead. I don't go about my career with that kind of attitude. I want to take risky fights that have people split over whether I can win or not. The more people that doubt my ability to win a fight the more I am determined to make the fight reality.

---

Social Bookmarks:
del.icio.us Digg Newsvine Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon
Wikipedia: social bookmarking

---

Comments (0)

No comments have been posted.

Post a Comment

Please note Name and E-mail Address are required.

Name
E-mail Address (not displayed)
Comment (you may use HTML tags for style)
Enter Text Shown in Picture*
Comments are moderated, and will not appear on this article until the comment has been approved.