Maloney - Haye must raise profile
David Haye's former promoter Frank Maloney has questioned whether the WBA heavyweight champion is limiting his profile through inactivity.
Haye won his first world title in the division last November and has made one defence since, against John Ruiz in April. Negotiations over meeting Wladimir Klitschko in November have stalled and the 29-year-old looks set to face Audley Harrison instead. Maloney, who parted company with Haye in 2008 after a two-year association, believes he should be more visible while searching for a new opponent.
"If I was still representing David, being a young fighter I would have cashed in a bit quicker and made him busier," said Maloney. "If I was David I'd be banging the drum and making sure I was in the papers for the right reasons. I'm not saying he's lazy, but a champion has to be visible and talk up the sport."
He added: "He's a breath of fresh air for the heavyweight division and the media like him, but sometimes when you stay out of sight you get forgotten a bit.
"You can't fault what he's done. No-one expected him to win the world heavyweight title and he's made one defence. Three fights a year is good for a heavyweight. That's what we aimed for with Lennox Lewis."
Maloney could have his first world champion since Haye dispatched Jean-Marc Mormeck in 2007 when Jason Booth faces Steve Molitor of Canada for the IBF title in Sunderland on September 11.
Victory would complete a remarkable turnaround for the 32-year-old Booth, who quit boxing for two years in 2004 after succumbing to alcoholism.
"The way Jason has rebuilt his career after everything that went wrong with his life has been great," said Maloney.
"It's boxing's Cinderella story. Jason had so many upsets, to put his life back together has been superb. Three and a half years ago I thought we'd give him a couple of fights and see how it goes. To be truthful I didn't think he had it in him. But now on September 11 he will fight for the ultimate prize in boxing."
Booth's stablemate Rendall Munroe will meet Toshiaki Nishioka for the WBC super-bantamweight title in Japan in late October.
Date published :
15 Jul 2010 - 10:02:51
