Following several months of speculation that David Haye may retire following his loss to Wladimir Klitschko, he has apparently taken a step towards doing just that. According to reports this afternoon, Haye is currently not renewing his boxing license with the BBBoC, the British Boxing Board of Control. Without the license Haye cannot fight or compete as a professional, so in essence, he’s retiring. Now, whether or not Haye sticks to this is an entirely different story.
In fact, it’s highly unlikely that this David Haye retirement is permanent. Consider it more along the lines of Floyd Mayweather’s retirement, although Mayweather was still riding high when he took an extended absence from the sport, while Haye is licking his wounds following an embarrassing performance against Klitschko which he tried to blame on a broken toe.
Haye has turned himself into a drama queen, and by “retiring” now, he gets to accomplish several different things. First, he gets to keep his promise that he would retire by his 31st birthday, which is coming up on October 13th. Second, he gets to create added interest and discussion revolving around his inevitable comeback.
The focus will then shift from Haye coming back from a poor showing against Wladimir, to simply Haye coming back. He’ll claim he’s healthier than ever, well rested and ready to take the Klitschkos out. Or he’ll storm back onto the scene to challenge someone like Tyson Fury, the rising and undefeated British heavyweight who recently defeated Dereck Chisora, to restore some luster to his name.
If he sits out long enough, both of the Klitschkos may even be out of the scene entirely, allowing Haye to compete with the other leftovers and retreads for division supremacy in the absence of the two fighters that none of them could defeat.
It’s a win-win move for Haye in that sense, just don’t buy into the hype. David Haye did not retire, and his “comeback” is surely already being planned. If nothing else, his immense ego would never allow himself to step away from the sport permanently following a bad loss to a guy he endlessly ridiculed. Haye will be back, it’s just a matter of when, and against whom.
