JOE CALZAGHE retired after achieving all that he could in a stainless 46-fight career. Ricky Hatton waved goodbye following the harrowing realisation that his body was no longer the machine he once controlled. David Haye?s decision to hang up the gloves appears, on the surface at least, far less definitive.
?The decision to finish my career at this point was not a spur of the moment thing, nor was it something forced upon me,? Haye explained. ?In fact, it has been my intention to retire from the sport of boxing on this particular day ever since I first laced up a pair of gloves as a skinny ten-year-old at the Fitzroy Lodge Amateur Boxing Club in Lambeth.?
David?s 31st birthday was always his finishing line but he kept us guessing – a habit he seems to revel in – as to whether he would actually cross it. A busted toe was offered as the reason for not fulfilling his pledge to knock out Wladimir Klitschko and, with fractured promises and cracked bones fresh in his mind, Haye is wise to keep his word this time.
If this is indeed the end, then Haye deserves respect. Say what you like about the Londoner?s mischievous mouth but he?s achieved a great deal in his chosen career. More than you or I, I?d guess. And certainly more than many of the American journalists who unleashed cruel insults at Haye from the comfort of their keyboards.
As a cruiserweight he unified world titles and became one of the best in the division?s admittedly shallow history. His win over 7ft Nikolai Valuev and perennial player John Ruiz proved he could compete with the big boys. And if you take away the hollow boasts and heavy excuses, so did his performance against Wladimir in July. He lost clearly but he wasn?t outclassed. It was a performance that, if he hadn?t created such a formidable rod for his own back, was worthy of building upon. Certainly, the feeling was that Haye was still improving. Can he really walk away from a sport that has not seen the best of him?
?I’ve never claimed to be the greatest and I’m not foolish or arrogant enough to think my place in history will be defined through what I achieved as a heavyweight,? Haye stated.
They?re words that offer few clues of the insecurities that often fuel rage within a fighter. Haye is different and he always has been.
Handsome, articulate, and smart, David is comfortable in his own body. Millions of pounds decorate his bank balance and promise to cradle a lavish future. At just 31, he has what most of us spend a life dreaming of, but never get close to. Where is the sense in returning to the prize ring to encounter painful blasts to his sharp brain and immaculate skin?
But as time passes, and there will be a lot of it on his hands, Haye will start to miss the rush of adrenaline that enlivened him to his core. As he appears on yet another lunchtime chat show and answers yet another question about his toe, he will quietly crave the pulsation of combat. His naturally competitive brain will harvest memories of victory and the euphoria they provided.
Keep in mind too, that at just 31, he has at least another 10 years where a comeback will be viable. That?s a long time to quell your natural instincts; a long time to ask, ?What if??
So although he appears set on retirement and may well have the strength of mind to keep his promise, there?s a long road for him to travel before his mind can rest.
?I’d always dreamed of one day ruling the same division my heroes Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis both dominated,? Haye continued in his carefully worded statement. ?As of this day ? the 13th and my 31st birthday ? that plan hasn’t quite unfolded yet. Wladimir got the better of me in July and I’ve had to accept the defeat and move on.?
It seems unlikely that Calzaghe and Hatton, who both achieved the dreams that now enrich them, will make pugilistic returns. But, as the calculating David Haye knows only too well, in the world of boxing, one should never say never.
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