Boxing: Haye happy to do things his way

In the days after David Haye knocked out Enzo Maccarinelli in March to win his third version of the world cruiserweight title the messages and offers started to pile up. Haye was simply too big for the cruiserweight division and there were a lot of people in the business desperate to turn Haye into a heavyweight. He listened and nodded but he had his own plans and was soon back near Girne in Northern Cyprus to begin his big push.

"I had a long and hard look at the heavyweight champions and the contenders and I knew that I could beat them," Haye said. "It was that simple and I looked at it in a practical way and realised that I don't have to be the best heavyweight of all time, I just have to be the best heavyweight of my time. I can do that."

Tomorrow night Haye climbs back through the ropes at the O2 Arena to fight New York's Monte Barrett in what could be the one and only step before a double world heavyweight title fight next year against Wladimir Klitschko. Barrett has twice failed in world title attempts and in many ways is considered the heavyweight division's gatekeeper.

When Haye made it clear that his dieting days were over and that he was ready to gain the weight necessary for a heavyweight campaign the four recognised sanctioning bodies placed him inside their top 10s. It was a rapid shift and not without critics. "It's amazing how many obstacles have been thrown in front of me since beating Maccarinelli," Haye added. "Opponents pulled out again and again and other fighters started crying about not getting what they deserve. It was pathetic."

The truth is that Haye offers a degree of redemption to a division under siege from technically gifted but predictable boxers from former Soviet Republics. The sanctioning bodies wanted to get Haye into their business because they have all had enough of a long line of American challengers falling over at the fists of iron-men from Uzbekistan or Ukraine or Russia.

Boxing's last glorious heavyweight period started about 15 years ago and lasted for about five or so years when Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson and Riddick Bowe exchanged punches. However, they mostly managed to avoid each other when they were at their peaks and their big fights took place when they had all seen better days.

In many ways Haye is the only marketable heavyweight out there on either side of the Atlantic and that is why Klitschko, who promotes his own fights, has met the south London boxer to talk about a meeting. There are other leading contenders but they all lack the charisma and drama that Haye has been delivering since he was a skinny kid in the black and white vest of the Fitzroy Lodge club in Lambeth.

Even Haye's critics, and there are a lot of them, admit that he is exciting to watch, with the ability to get hit and comeback from the brink of defeat. Last November he won two versions of the world cruiserweight title when he had to climb up from the canvas to knock out the local idol Jean Mark Mormeck in Paris. It was raw entertainment in a dumb fight that many thought Haye was stupid to take.

"I have always done things my way and that has not always made people happy," Haye said. "The Mormeck fight made sense to me. The Maccarinelli fight made sense to me. The Barrett fight makes sense. Klitschko next year makes perfect sense."

When Haye is at his base near Girne he lives an eccentric lifestyle with long sessions in the luxury gym that he built. It is not unusual for Haye and Adam Booth, his friend, trainer and promotional partner, to go to the gym at midnight and return at dawn. The preparations for this fight have been secret and few have visited Haye and Booth at their Cyprus retreat. The isolation has also created some teething problems with the promotion, which is the first major show that Hayemaker Promotions has put on.

"So far it has been a three-month learning curve but now it is all about the fighting because at the end of the day that is what I do best," Haye said.