On December 1st something big happened. Something that no one expected. Something that has changed everything.
DelBrey, The EBU Heavyweight champion was knocked out. After a 16 year undefeated career, he was defeated. After 11 years as champion and with his name at the top of the rankings, a new name was placed at number 1.
There was an outpouring of adoration for the new champions brilliant tactics. There was also mourning for the long time, popular King of the EBU, who was dethroned in brutal fashion.
Backlash followed. Beating a icon isn’t always a good thing. Journalist were pissed. DelBrey has played the establishment perfectly and made a lot of friends. Havey, on the other hand, regularly showed his distain for the “men in suits who make fortunes on the backs of men so much braver than them”.
Their articles have followed a similar theme. Havey is overrated. Havey’s win is tainted because he only beat a 34 year old legend.
Its a shame to read so much negativity. Days before the fight they said that DelBrey would win. They said he was the greatest fighter the EBU has ever had. They said that no one could beat him. Havey disagreed with them, but he would, wouldn’t he? Then Havey won and they said DelBrey is old and passed it. Did DelBrey suddenly become passed it over night? When I spoke to Havey he said,
“I Keep hearing that I beat an old man. He is 34 years old. Only 3 and a half years older than me. He fought in June and looked amazing. His stats showed that he was stronger, more powerful and fitter than ever before. I try my best to meet their expectations. I fight the people that everyone wants me to fight. I want to be in fights that people want. I want people to leave the venue with a smile on their face. Who do I have to fight to make them happy? Whoever it is, I will fight them and win. People saying I fought someone that’s passed it. They wanted me to fight him”
If I were in Havey’s position right now, I would be devastated. Training so hard to do the unthinkable, only to achieve it and have people try to take it away. His trainer gave his thoughts, “I know he doesn’t lay in bed crying about it. He isn’t the type to care that much. He didn’t get to where he is now by caring about what people think. If you are a elite level fighter, you will attract jealousy. I think he is slightly annoyed but he is also amused by it”.
It’s obvious that there are people that are just bitter that DelBrey lost, so they have tried to taint the win. Even Havey’s supporters say that DelBrey is the greater champion. He has done everything a champion should do and taken the responsibility more seriously than Havey. They say:
DelBrey has been consistent, has longevity, fights often, gives interviews often, was unbeaten for so long, etc etc. One journalist said to me “DelBrey is a better champion, Havey is a better fighter”.
I asked Havey if he thinks he is better than DelBrey, or greater. He said, “No way. I beat him but I could never achieve the things he has. I had a better game plan. That’s why I won. I think I can out think him and out fight him. But all round, career wise, hes better than me. He’s one of my hero’s. I cant out do one of my hero’s and I’m okay with that”.
I’m not saying that Havey is a greater champion than DelBrey. Boxers are truly appreciated after they retire and they will both be in their 40s by time their careers have been fully accessed. If Havey is remembered as the best champion the EBU has ever had. it will be because of these points:
Havey has never avoided anyone. During his mid 20s, Havey was leaving a destructive trail of knocked out opponents in his wake. During this period, certain champions were protected from him. That’s why he doesn’t have longevity. The top names wanted to fight him, but their promoters blocked it. Promoters just wouldn’t let their fighters go anywhere near Havey.
Never pulled out of a fight. DelBrey has pulled out of 31% of the fights he made. Yes he has injury issues, but so does Havey, who once fought with a secret broken hand. That’s why he hasn’t always been consistent because he fought when he should have pulled out. Fans lose money when fighters pull out.
Fight focus. Far from shirking the responsibilities of a champion, Havey focused on the main one. He focused on training so he could give good fights to the paying crowd. Yes he refuses interviews. Yes he was reprimanded for not showing up to a promotional photo shoot. He sees himself as a fighter, not a product for sale. Fighters train, models go for photo shoots.
Honesty. His honesty has been shocking but its also been a game changer. He shocked everyone when he admitted to being scared of his opponents. In a joint interview with DelBrey he said “the thought of fighting you makes me feel sick. I have nightmares that you beat me” DelBrey looked surprised and said “why would you say that”? Havey replied “because it’s true. You’re huge. I know you’re scared of me too. Admit it. All boxers feel that fear. It’s what makes them so good. We train like machines because we are scared of losing”.
His wins. Look at his record. He dominates top fighters. He knocked out Troy in 3 rounds. Troy was the most feared fighter around. Appleton was called ‘The Perfect Boxer’. He has beaten so many talented fighters.
His self belief. Everyone said he would lose. Its not the first time. When everyone is saying you will lose, its takes a lot of self belief to know you will win. Havey has never doubted himself. He once agreed to kiss a fighters feet in the ring if he lost.
Equally, there are reasons that may prevent his legacy from reaching the status that I believe it will.
Inactivity. The last few years have seen him having fight more often. It hasn’t always been like that. He has had a lot of time away from fighting. Havey went two years without stepping into the ring.
Losses. There was a time when Havey hated boxing. He wasn’t getting the fights he wanted and started skipping training sessions. The result was that he lost twice. This may not matter as he rematched both and won easily. Losing isn’t the problem. The fighters he lost to were basically unknowns. That’s the problem. You could even say that one of them was a bum and he out punched the uninterested Havey.
Not a home town fighter. Havey hasn’t fought in his home town for ages. Infact his biggest fan base is in areas around the midlands. Home town EBU supporters mostly view Havey as a fighter that goes where money takes him. Someone that doesn’t care about regional boundaries. His home town support has improved but its still less than you would expect.
Didn’t sell his fights. Havey has been accused of laziness in promoting his fights. His opponents have said they felt like he had no interest in drawing interest in his fights and they did it alone. Havey counters that he wont be disrespectful to a boxer he respects just to sell tickets and he lets his fighting do the talking. Havey understands the game. He just refuses to play it. He should have put effort into certain business aspects, but he didn’t.
Concentration problems. Boxers like DelBrey are able to concentrate from the first to the final bell. Havey has never been able to do that. He switches off at times. Although he has never lost due to this, he has come close. He was seriously hurt against Appleton. It has left him looking vulnerable at times. DelBrey never looked vulnerable.
Time will tell. One thing is certain. With the benefit of time, Havey and DelBrey will both be regarded highly and admired for what they have achieved.
Brain Sullivan
English Boxing Union 