Sport & Fitness

South Londoner David Haye is one fight away from a world title shot and a big-money future. Affable and talented, at the age of 26 his potential is huge, even if he has yet to convince some British fans of his mettle. Maybe this is due to Haye’s reputation as a lover of the high life, which he pursues with a passion when he’s not fighting. Having a training camp in Miami seems, rightly or wrongly, to have added credence to the view that he prefers the sweeter things in life to the rigours of the ring.

TO: You’re defending your European Cruiserweight title against the Italian Giacobbe Fragomeni. What does this fight mean to you?’

Haye: ‘He beat me as an amateur in the 2000 Olympic qualifying tournament. He has been the reason for my six years of frustration at not making the Olympic team. He’ll pay for that on Friday. I have some serious revenge in mind.’ Feature continues

This fight is also an eliminator for the WBC world title. Are you ready for the likes of current champion O’Neil Bell at this stage of your career? Surely that would be a risky fight?’

‘I’m more than ready for “Give ’em Hell” Bell. I’ll soon be mandatory challenger, so he has to fight me. Every time a boxer steps in the ring there’s a risk, but I’m confident in my ability and I feel the time will be perfect for an early 2007 showdown. Nothing is going to stop me bringing the title back to the UK and London.’

You’re planning a move up to heavyweight. In this era of massive heavyweights, you’re going to be relatively small – do you plan on bulking up a lot?

‘I’m 6'3" and naturally well over 16 stone, so I would only want to put on a stone maximum. These heavyweights are big but they are slow as hell. I would run rings round most of the big chumps with my “Matrix”-like speed!’

Talking of heavyweights, Lennox Lewis has been helping you in the gym. To what extent is he involved in your career?

‘Lennox lives in Miami, so he comes to the gym and shows me some of the methods he used to become undisputed champion. Everything so far has worked perfectly.’

What do you do on your days off?

‘Well, Miami has some beautiful beaches… South Beach, Silicon Strip and not forgetting Boob Job Beach, so on a day off I always like to top up my tan when I feel I’m getting a bit pale!’

What are the best and worst things about being in Miami?

‘The best things about Miami are the year-round heat, beaches, quality sparring partners, beaches, food and… did I mention the beaches? The worst thing is leaving my puppies in London. I have two chihuahuas, Millie and Oscar, and leaving them for a couple of months always breaks my heart.’