The last time anyone cared about the heavyweight division of boxing it was because of a charismatic British champion. Could history repeat itself with David Haye? Haye is a former undisputed cruiserweight champion making the move to heavyweight starting with his next fight. He's not very well known in the U.S., he only fought here once in 2003, but that figures to change now that he's signed with Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions. Thanks to that deal, it seems likely that his first match as a heavy will be on either HBO or Showtime this November.
Haye is a very exciting fighter who lives by trading punches. All but one of his victories as a cruiser came via knockout but so did his one loss. His ability to bring both punching power and a better chin to the higher weight class will determine whether he's the man who can generate excitement in the moribund division or if he's just the latest flash in the pan. He's already challenged Wladimir Klitschko but will need a few fights under his belt before he's worthy of that fight.
Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe have proven that British fighters bring a lot of energy with them to fights inside the United States. The crowd sings and chants from the moment they enter the arena and imbue the bouts with a special feeling that is often absent when the current champions of the heavyweight division do battle.




