The Comeback Kid: How David Haye Can Learn from Heavyweight History

There’s something about the sport of boxing and comebacks.

Whether it’s because they miss the adulation that comes with topping bills in big venues, or the adrenalin rush of hearing the sound of the bell for Round 1, heavyweights in particular find it difficult to stay away.

Joe Louis came back for the money.

Muhammad Ali came back because he couldn’t let go.

Mike Tyson came back because he was free to do so (after being released from prison).

All of the former world champions had their own reasons for stepping back between the ropes.

David Haye is coming back because he wants to be heavyweight champion of the world again. At least that’s what he told Gareth A Davies of the Telegraph:

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My motivation is exactly the same as at the moment I knocked down Chisora: to be heavyweight champion of the world. Along the way, the money comes. Even if there was no money in boxing, this is what I would do, because this is what I'm meant to do. Some fights you don't earn big, but they can set up bigger paydays later on. This fight is about me getting back on the map and proving to the fans that I'm healthy and that I can do this.

"

More than three years since he was last seen in a ring, Haye announced in November 2015 that he would don the gloves again. His timing couldn't be better.

There is a buzz about the division—the long and rather dreary reign of the Klitschko brothers, Vitali and Wladimir, seems to finally be over, while the American audience has rekindled an interest in heavyweights thanks to the emergence of WBC champion Deontay Wilder.

Britain also has a burgeoning heavyweight talent in Anthony Joshua, who revealed after his stoppage win over Dillian Whyte in 2015 that Haye was part of his future plans, per Kevin Mitchell of the Guardian.

With the shoulder injury that forced him to stop fighting in the first place now fully repaired, Haye can quickly blast his way back into contention for a major title.

The Englishman had often talked about making a comeback in the past, but this time he’s for real. He is booked to face Mark de Mori on January 16 at the O2 Arena in London.

De Mori is an Australian with a 30-1-2 (26 KOs) record, yet his CV does not contain one single name that makes you consider the potential for an upset in the English capital.

However, at the age of 35, Haye—a former two-weight world champion—is still taking a gamble.

He would not have lost sleep over a fighter like De Mori previously. But that was then. This is now, and the Hayemaker has not thrown a punch in anger since knocking out Dereck Chisora in July 2012.

Before officially announcing his decision to fight again, Haye told Declan Taylor for the Mail Online in September 2015: "Look back in history and many fighters have had long lay-offs. Muhammad Ali was out for three and a half years, Wladimir Klitschko was out for four years, George Foreman was out for 10 years—they all came back and regained the heavyweight title."

He is right. The names mentioned (Haye might have meant Vitali Klitschko, not Wladimir) proved their doubters wrong by overcoming setbacks and lengthy spells of inactivity to rule the world again.

The trio all offer him cause for optimism, albeit tinged with a note of caution.

As Haye pointed out, Ali is a prime example of when a comeback can work out for the better. He also, though, is a reminder of the dangers of going on for too long.

The American’s refusal to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces during the Vietnam War saw him stripped of the heavyweight title and sent into boxing exile in 1967.

Associated Press

Per BoxRec, he officially retired early in 1970 to allow the winner of the bout between Joe Frazier and Jimmy Ellis to be considered the undisputed champion of the world.

However, Ali always intended to box again. When the New York Supreme Court ordered his boxing license should be reinstated, the former WBA titleholder was back in business.

On October 26, 1970, Ali returned against Jerry Quarry. Less than five months later, he took on Frazier for the WBA and WBC straps, only to lose on points.

Ali, though, finally got his belt back in 1974, stunning the boxing world by stopping Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire (what is now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo).

Ali lost, then regained, the title from Leon Spinks in 1978. That should have been the end of the road, and he announced his retirement in 1979.

But The Greatest liked an encore. It was the showman in him.

While he is a case in point of when a comeback can reap dividends, Ali is also an illustration of when knowing not to walk away can do damage to more than just your legacy.

The 10-round beating he took at the hands of Larry Holmes in 1980 should have definitely been the end, yet Ali still went on. He lost to Trevor Berbick the following year, too. Berbick was 28 and in his prime when the bout took place in the Bahamas, while Ali was just shy of his 40th birthday.

Ali finally, finally admitted the time had come to call it quits.

He said after just the fifth defeat of his long career, per Matt Christie of Boxing News: "Father Time has caught up with me. I’m finished. I’ve got to face the facts. We all lose sometimes. We all grow old. This is the end." 

Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s syndrome in 1984.

Haye, of course, will be medically cleared to box again. He would not have gone through the training camp and the sparring sessions without knowing he could cope physically in an actual bout.

Will he be ring rusty on his return? More than likely, yes. That's only natural for someone who has been dormant for so long.

Is he washed up? He shouldn’t be. Haye has only fought for 119 rounds and has never suffered at the hands of opponents in the way that Ali did in the final throes of his career.

As for his age, that is just another number. Haye referenced Foreman—who is a beacon of hope for over-the-hill boxers around the world—in his interview with Taylor.

Big George initially bowed out in 1977 after being beaten by Jimmy Young. It was a stunning exit from the sport before he had even hit the age of 30. Having found God, he found a new life away from boxing.

But, a decade later, and long before he encouraged everyone to buy one of his grilling machines, Foreman laced up the gloves again.

There were disappointments along the way, including a failed attempt to take the IBF, WBA and WBC titles from Evander Holyfield (who knows a thing or two about fighting in the twilight stages of a career himself), before Foreman had his moment against fellow American Michael Moorer.

Despite being 45 years of age, and despite being dominated for the vast majority of the fight, Foreman found a way to knock out his opponent in Round 10 and become the new IBF and WBA champion.

Foreman's renaissance was complete—with a right hand out of nowhere he made history, becoming the oldest heavyweight world champion. He was stripped of both belts, yet no one could take away what he had achieved.

Haye won’t need to break any such age record in his quest to claim a major title. What he needs to do, however, is prove there are no lasting issues in terms of his health.

Fights against Manuel Charr and Tyson Fury (twice) were previously cancelled because of injuries, the second of them against Fury due to a shoulder problem that required surgery. Advised to retire, Haye seemed to be done and dusted.

Yet he never officially announced his retirement, and an extended break has allowed him to heal.

AFP/Getty Images

Vitali Klitschko, who looked to have packed in boxing after undergoing major knee surgery in 2005, only to be boxing again less than three years later, was in a similar situation to Haye.

Having given up the WBC belt, the Ukrainian—who snapped his anterior cruciate ligament while preparing to face Hasim Rahman—was given the chance to regain it in his first fight back.

Klitschko stopped Samuel Peter to reclaim his crown in Berlin, Germany, in 2008. After nine successful defences of the title, he stepped away again.

Haye may not want to look to Dr. Ironfist (a man he once angered by wearing a t-shirt showing him holding Klitschko’s decapitated head), but he now finds himself following in his old rival’s footsteps. He doesn't have to go the whole way and copy Klitschko—the current mayor of Kiev—by moving into politics, though.

Whether Haye—who formerly held the WBA heavyweight title—can rekindle former glories remains to be seen.

A clash with De Mori might not reveal much about the new version of Haye, who is not only now working with a new trainer in Shane McGuigan but is also promoting himself.

Perhaps it shouldn't really be labelled as a comeback, more a new chapter in the Hayemaker’s story. Expect it to be eventful, whatever happens.