GIVEN the recent exploits of Fraudley Harrison and Amir Khan’t, boxing fans have every right to feel cynical about a Brit fighter shouting his mouth off.
But cocky gobshite David Haye promised to throw bombs at heavyweight veteran Monte Barrett – and delivered in style for a fifth-round stoppage which brought him closer to making his world title dream a reality.
Barrett’s evening in London got off to a bad start when he tripped trying to catapult over the ring ropes. But it soon got worse as the Yank was dropped five times in a one-sided bout.
And with the first hurdle on his world title quest out of the way, the Hayemaker wasted no time in calling out the Klitschko brothers Vitali and Wladimir.
Haye said: “Barrett has been around the block and I despatched him in good style.
“I want to be heavyweight champion and to do that I want to beat one of the Klitschko brothers. I don’t mind if it is Wladimir or Vitali, I will end up victorious. Flip a coin. I don’t care. It will be a huge fight so let’s make it happen.
“I’ve got big dreams. I’m the No1 cruiserweight in the world and now I want to clean up the heavyweight division.
“I think I can slay the giant.”
Haye’s blistering hand and foot speed and underrated power was too much for Monte.
But the lairy Londoner wasn’t done: “I’m explosive and throw bombs from the start. I’m entertaining and the world’s hardest puncher in any division.”
We look forward to seeing you prove it, Dave. In the mean time can we have a little bit of hush.
Sports Round-up
• A WEEK after the 2008 European Tour season ended, you’d expect the world’s top golfers to be sitting on the beach with their private jet pilots being fanned with £100 notes by supermodels, but no – the poor souls were compelled to play on the Asian Tour for a measly total prize pot of $5million.
Anyway, irrepressible Indian Jeev Milkha Singh will have a bit of extra cash for plane fuel and high class hookers after claiming a thrilling one-stroke victory over Padraig Harrington and Ernie Els at the Singapore Open.
Singapore Singh looked to have squandered his chance to secure the win when his 12-foot birdie putt on 18 curled just past the hole.
But Harrington pushed his five-foot birdie attempt wide before Els saw his 15-footer stop on the edge of the cup, gifting Singh the title.
“The way I’m going to record it is that I played very good but I think I was very fortunate the golfing gods were on my side,” said Singh.
“I’m happy I could win against the top players. This will give me a lot of confidence and hopefully go on to bigger things in life.”
Harrington said: “I’m delighted for Jeev but I’ll look back at my year and I am happy with it.” Els added: “It could have been a win but Jeev is a great guy and I’m happy for him.”
Ok, he’s a good bloke. But he can’t have needed cash that much.
• SERBIAN sensation Novak Djokovic refused to get carried away despite his superb Masters Cup triumph over Nikolay
Davydenko which moved the Australian Open champ within touching distance of world no2 Roger Federer in the ATP rankings.
The 21-year-old world no3 saved his best display for the final and dominated the Russian world no5 to deservedly win the season-ending showpiece 6-1, 7-5.
Meanwhile, Andy Murray is hoping to build on an “awesome” year after his season ended with a semi-final loss to Davydenko.
The world no4 earned his maiden trip to Shanghai by winning five titles, including two Masters Series, and reaching the US Open final.
And after beating Andy Roddick, Gilles Simon and Federer, in-form Murray looked on course to cap the year off in style.
Legends Live – Brock Lesnar
ANYONE who thinks pro wrestlers are weak-as-piss sissies who fall over without being touched should probably not say that around Brock Lesnar, as there was nothing fake about the punishing punches he rained down to become the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s heavyweight king.
Anyone who remembers AC Slater from Saved By The Bell will realise amateur wrestling is serious stuff in US colleges and Lesnar was the best around, winning the 2000 NCAA title and ending with a record of 106-5 overall in four years of college
But this was before he risked his credibility by gaining prominence in WWE where he was 2002 King of the Ring, won the 2003 Royal Rumble and the was three-time WWE Champion.
After leaving the company in 2004, Lesnar pursued a career in the NFL and played during pre-season for the Minnesota Vikings, but ended up being cut at the last minute. A return to pro wrestling in Japan followed, but Brock wanted to beat seven shades of shit out of people for real and began a career in Mixed Martial Arts, signing with the UFC in October 2007.
Despite a rookie error in his debut defeat, he was offered a title shot at Randy Couture last week and earned a second round stoppage by beating his head like a bald, sweaty egg.
At 6’3’’ and 19-stone of pure muscle, we won’t be insulting him in the near future.
