Boxing Betting: Confident Haye promises supreme performance

Boxing Betting / David Croft / 14 November 2008 / Leave a Comment

BBC 5Live commentator David Croft has been observing the build-up to David Haye's heavyweight debut - and moaning Monte looks likely to take a spanking.

First he bragged of his upbringing on the mean streets of New York, and then he went into a tirade against the way he'd been treated since arriving in the UK a week ago. It was the 'Full Monty' from Monte at the O2 arena on Thursday as the American boxer stoked up the hostilities ahead of his WBC Eliminator against David Haye.

Talking about how he was given his first gun at the age of 16, a revolver he carried around with him, Barrett gave a glimpse of his tough early years. But then he rather ruined the moment with his barrage of bitchiness, complaining firstly that he'd only been given £30 a day dinner money, 'nowhere near enough when he was spending at least £22 on dinner alone', he claimed.

Then there was the small hotel room he'd been holed up in, some 30 minute drive from his gym.

"It's no joke man," he cried.

"'But they're trying to treat me like one. They've got me stuck up in some sh**ty little hotel room."

He repeated that line a few more times, just in case we hadn't got the message and just to ensure that there was no chance of his bed being made by the time he got back to his Holiday Inn Express later that night.

And whilst Monte was unleashing his problems on those in attendance like a flurry of badly timed and pointless punches, David Haye sat impassively waiting for a pause of breath before retorting with a verbal upper cut of his own. Imploring his man to stand and fight come Saturday night, Haye said that as a result of Barrett's moans he'd changed his mind about the result, insisting that instead of finishing things off in the 6th round, he now wanted to get the job done sooner.

Haye looked like a man who had come to do business, mixing bravado and bullishness with the right amount of respect for the job in hand. Unlike Calzaghe and Jones in New York last week he had a touch of apprehensiveness about him and there was none of the casual laughter and joviality that punctuated the pre fight build up in New York.

Haye did stress though that he not only intended to win, but was going to win in style. With the luxury of not having to boil down to make the Cruiserweight limit he guaranteed that his fans had seen nothing yet and that he was going to better than ever this time around.

Was he confident of victory? Silly question really. Haye was sticking to his adage that he was on course for a world title shot and, yes, was still thinking of retiring should he lose to the 33-year-old.

"I set high standards for myself," Haye declared "and if I can't get past Monte Barrett what's the point of continuing."

He may have to revisit that quote next week should the unthinkable happen for a man who has to be regarded as Britain's only realistic chance of a heavyweight world title at least in the short term, if not for a few years longer.

Barrett will give Haye a good test and a decent examination in what is only the Londoner's second foray into the heavyweight division.

But Haye should have too much for Monte to answer. Barrett has climbed into the ring with the likes of Rahman and Valuev but he lost both fights. He's not the biggest heavyweight in the world - his career high is only 227 pounds - and won't have anywhere near the speed of punches that 'The Haymaker' can offer.

Haye may have had a suspect chin in the past but he has also shown how destructive he can be. Ask Enzo Maccarinelli and Jean Marc Mormeck who were both felled by the former model along with Thomas Bonin who lasted only 1 minute and 45 seconds of the first round before the referee stepped in.

I personally think that after a couple of even rounds at the start, Haye will stamp his authority on the fight from the third onwards and could even stop Barrett in the fourth. Betfair offer [10.5] for Haye to win in round 4 and [1.21] for the British boxer to win overall. Should he do so then the next stop is WBC champ, Vitali Klitschko, possibly as soon as next summer.

Haye is in a hurry to get things done.