Klitschko vs. Haye: Heavyweight Boxing Fight Better Than Pacquiao vs. Mosley?

It's hard to realize now just how big the heavyweight division used to be in boxing. Actually, for fans who were around when heavyweight boxing was big, it's probably hard for them to realize just how insignificant the division's become. 

Is Wladimir Klitschko vs. David Haye better than Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosely was. Well, no, but neither are what we're really looking for.

Right now, the only match that boxing fans seem to want to see is Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather. Without commenting on why that hasn't happened, fans will be disappointed until it does, it's as simple as that.

Pacquiao vs. Mosely was just a disappointing fight between the guy who is likely the best fighter going now in Pacquiao, and a former great who is way past his prime in Mosley. 

It was a 12-round fight, but it was a letdown.

As far as Klitschko and Haye are concerned, it's just a fight that lacks personality. It doesn't help that neither are Americans, but that's in an expanding International sports scene, that's not too big a deal.

No, what hurts is that the sport just lacks the dominant personality. Haye did a lot of talking before the fight against Klitschko, but that's not what having the dominant personality means.

Muhammad Ali had that personality, Mike Tyson had that personality, Larry Holmes had that personality, Jack Dempsey had that personality and Joe Louis had that personality.

What do we know about Klitschko or Haye?

Well, Klitschko has an older brother Vitali, and he was dating Hayden Panettiere. Not much else is out there.

Still, it's two more things than I knew about Haye before doing some research.

Don't mistake having a dominant personality for being well liked. Frequently, the most dominant personalities are some of the most hated figures in sports. They need to be polarizing far more than they need to be liked.

If it can't have the personality of one fighter, it needs the a great rivalry. Right now, heavyweight boxing has neither.

So, to the original question, is this better than Pacquiao vs. Mosley? Well, even though that wasn't a great fight and wasn't what we wanted, no, it's not.

We may want a great heavyweight division, but we don't seem to have that right now. Maybe it will come in the form of someone we don't know yet, maybe a current guy will develop more of a personality.

But right now, just about anything is better than the heavyweight division, regardless of the quality of the fights.