As we await the hugely anticipated return to the ring of our former WBA world heavyweight champion, David Haye, after an absence of some three years, the heavyweight who hopes to get back into world title contention has engaged with the media and described how he has managed his body in the build-up to what could be a career defining bout.
It seems, reading between the lines, Haye has decided to baulk up rather than slim down, looking at body mass being a more influential attribute than the speed of his cruiserweight days with Haye remarking,
‘Instead of dieting down I’ve been packing the food in, eating every two, two and a half hours.
‘I’m setting alarms to make sure I eat, that the weight doesn’t get too low.’
I guess that’s something that only heavyweights could get away with.
Continuing, Haye adds,
‘In my old training camps, I used to come in around 15 stone – I’d lose a stone just cutting my food down.
‘The general consensus back then was, the lighter I am, the closer I am to cruiserweight, the faster I will be. That’s all well and good, but when you’re cutting weight down so low, and sparring big guys, I get injured.
‘I’m not as ripped as I was in my last few fights, but it’s not a bodybuilding competition. I’m more ripped than De Mori though.’
As usual you get the impression that Haye remains as confident as ever, but at 35 and after three and half years between fights his last being against Dereck Chisora, it remains to be seen whether the body is as willing as the spirit.
My belief is that Haye will win and move closer to a fight with Anthony Joshua.
A Change of Tact for Haye!
