![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/cid_X_MA3_1269187203@aol.gif\" "\\"468")
<\/a><\/p>\nIn the 1990s, boxing was good for the heavyweights and for the fans.\u00a0 Lennox Lewis would come along and clean it out and when there were no other worthy challengers, he retired and left a gap.\u00a0 The gap has been filled by the Klitschko Brothers, Wladimir and Vitali.<\/p>\n Vitali actually had the chance to square off against Lewis in 2003.\u00a0 It was a good fight that Lewis was beginning to win when Vitali suffered a serious cut and fell victim to a TKO stoppage in the sixth round.\u00a0 The courageous performance made Vitali the champ when Lewis retired.\u00a0 The WBC quickly placed him into a title match with Corrie Sanders, a fight he won via TKO in 8.\u00a0 He would vacate the title, retire, and then come back and reclaim it from an uninspired and fat Sam Peter.<\/p>\n Vitali has a record of 39-2, 37 KO\u2019s, a 90% KO rate, and fights regularly, but he has not captured the imagination of the American public.\u00a0 It\u2019s a combination of things.\u00a0 One, the opposition is weak.\u00a0 Vitali benefits and is also hurt by the current crop of heavyweights.\u00a0 Secondly, Vitali fights in a safety first style, controlling the fight and battering his opponents until they quit or collapse.\u00a0 Americans were accustomed to Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield\u2026guys like that, that would go in there and go to war, but Vitali presents something different.\u00a0 It\u2019s similar to the style that Lennox Lewis brought, but Lewis seemed to have more of a heart for ring wars.<\/p>\n The younger brother, Wladimir, has a record of 54-3, 48 KO\u2019s, has an 84% KO rate, and fights regularly.\u00a0 He has also not brought in the masses from the states.\u00a0 His last title fight against the capable Eddie Chambers wasn\u2019t even picked up by HBO, which is basically the home for the Klitschko brothers.\u00a0<\/p>\n A big part of the reason why the Klitschkos are not as popular as they would be in a competitive division is that nobody thinks that they can lose.\u00a0 They don\u2019t leave anything to chance.\u00a0 They work from the distance, and eventually their power shots will land and end the fight.\u00a0 Sultan Ibragimov, the former WBO Champ, that lost his title to Wlad via UD, wanted to fight but he was so much smaller and wasn\u2019t allowed inside.\u00a0 That is the storyline with many of the Klitschko opponents.<\/p>\n The contenders nowadays lack charisma and with the networks not broadcasting any fights, they enter the ring as unknowns and leave the ring as the same.\u00a0 Tony Thompson, Calvin Brock, Eddie Chambers, Kevin Johnson, Sultan Ibragimov, and Chris Arreola have not inspired the fans and did not put up any effort in the ring to stimulate interest.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t have the charisma or the fighting heart to go after the champions, but there is one man that apparently does.<\/p>\n The WBA Heavyweight Champion, David \u201cHayemaker\u201d Haye, 24-1, 22 KO\u2019s, ruled the cruiserweight division and then made his way up to the heavyweights, taking out Monte Barrett and earning a crack at the gigantic champion at the time, Nikolay Valuev.\u00a0\u00a0 Although most were disappointed with the performance of Haye, he did come away with a win and put forth an effective game plan.\u00a0 He moved and did enough to win the title.\u00a0 Valuev is a tough opponent for anyone because of his size and courage and Haye was able to use skill and ring smarts to overcome that.<\/p>\n Recently, Haye took on former 2-Time Champion John Ruiz.\u00a0 Ruiz was 3-3 in his last six fights going into the fight with Haye but could have easily been 6-0 and many contend that he was robbed clearly against Valuev and Ruslan Chagaev.\u00a0 Whether he was or wasn\u2019t, Ruiz was only stopped once in 1996 against David Tua.\u00a0\u00a0 He altered his style and became a puzzle that most could not solve.\u00a0 Ruiz is a gritty brawler that was a very live dog in the Haye fight\u2026but we found out a lot about the British Champion in his first defense.<\/p>\n Very early in the first round, a one-two put Ruiz on the floor and in serious trouble.\u00a0 Over anxious, Haye fouled Ruiz, hitting him with a rabbit punch.\u00a0 Haye\u2019s excitement may cost him, especially if he gets Wlad into trouble.\u00a0 The last thing that he would want would be to lose an opportunity to stop one of the Klitschkos because of a foul.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Haye would stop Ruiz in nine rounds and that has sent a message.\u00a0 Haye is charismatic, quick, and hits very hard.\u00a0 He has gotten under the skin of both Wlad and Vitali with his antics, including presenting artwork with Haye holding both severed heads of the Klitschko brothers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Prior to his defense against Tony Thompson, Wladimir was confronted by Haye and told that he was fighting nobodies.\u00a0 Wlad agreed to fight Haye but the Brit would pull out due to promotional problems. Haye would then come close to signing with Vitali but would pull out as well and take on Valuev as well.<\/p>\n The point of all of this is to psychological warfare and it worked.\u00a0 Both brothers seem irritated with Haye, especially Vitali.\u00a0 Another part of the reason why the fights fell apart in the first place was the rumored demands of the Klitschkos.\u00a0 With the WBA belt around his waist, Haye has more bargaining power.\u00a0 It is something that both brothers want in the family and now it\u2019s just a question of which one will go for it.<\/p>\n The frontrunner now is Wladimir.\u00a0 It makes more sense for Haye.\u00a0 Wlad has some weaknesses that could be capitalized on and the public would see it as a risky fight.\u00a0 Rumor has it that they will be fighting in the fall, should they be able to seal the deal.\u00a0 Wlad may be forced to face Alexander Povetkin first, a good heavyweight under the guidance of Teddy Atlas, but he is expected to get through that outing.\u00a0 If Haye becomes a reality, there is a chance of step aside money for Team Povetkin to make the fight possible with the winner being forced to face him in their next fight.<\/p>\n David Haye is what this division needs.\u00a0 He\u2019s charismatic, quick, and hits hard with both hands.\u00a0 He has the style and power to possibly upset the Klitschko brothers and reshape the division.\u00a0 The win against Ruiz reinforced what many thought when he moved up to heavyweight.\u00a0 Haye may go on to rule the division.<\/p>\n Advertise Now On RSR<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/haye-header2.jpg\" "\\"haye")
<\/a>By Geno McGahee<\/strong><\/p>\n