Haye may win battle in the ring but he's losing friends out of it

Boxing Betting / Joe Dyer / 28 June 2011 /

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Has something come loose in Haye's head?

"Few sports stir the betting urge better than boxing, where character is enough to trump traditional drivers of support, such as patriotism, and I find myself rooting for the Ukrainian when the pair get down to business."

British heavyweight David Haye has been talking dirty ahead of his heavyweight clash with Wladimir Klitschko, but he's gone too far for Joe Dyer who'll be rooting for the Ukrainian come Saturday night

Confidence is a key weapon in any successful sportsman's armoury but few will ever be loved if they don't match it with a dash of humility.

That is clearly not a concern for David Haye who has spent much of the build-up to Saturday night's heavyweight clash with Wladimir Klitschko uttering sickening trash talk about his Ukrainian opponent's demise in the ring.

Haye has enough self-belief to supply an entire gym full of boxers but he has stepped far over the line when he talks of 'executing' Klitschko and sending him home in an ambulance. Twice during the run-up to the bout he has worn a t-shirt depicting himself holding the severed heads of the Klitschko brothers. Classy.

Who, really, does Haye's brand of smack talk appeal to? Mindless thugs may lap it up but they're the minority. Its primary purpose must be as a weapon to destroy his opponent's confidence, to sow the seeds of doubt in Klitschko's mind, to make a man three inches taller, two stone heavier and with a significant reach advantage scared.

But it surely does little to win hearts and minds of the British sporting public. In fact, it could turn them off.

Few sports stir the betting urge better than boxing, where character is enough to trump traditional drivers of support, such as patriotism, and I find myself rooting for the Ukrainian when the pair get down to business.

Given Haye has repeatedly claimed he will retire after the fight - with many millions tucked away for a rainy day or two - courting the public doesn't appear to be high on his agenda.

No, according to the Bermondsey man, a successful, yet ultra bloody exit from the ring is his destiny. Punters are not convinced however, making Haye a [2.76] chance just to win. Klitschko trades at [1.6] to emerge victorious, with a knockout for the eastern European [2.34] and the Englishman [3.5].

Whether you will believe the hype and wade into the biggest price of the four is your call, but whether it's value or not, I won't be taking it.

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