Tony the Tiger says Haye's looking Grrrrreat!
Top American heavyweight contender Tony 'The Tiger' Thompson spent three weeks sparring WBA world champion David Haye in London (and is claimed by Audley Harrison to have dropped the champion in the process) and believes he's seen more than enough to confidently back 'The Hayemaker' in his upcoming title defence on Saturday, November 13 in Manchester.
Haye fights bitter rival Audley Harrison next week, live on Sky Box Office, and chief sparring partner Thompson (left - an artist's impression) feels the champion is close to peak condition already.
“I think David's been looking sharper and sharper as he's been going along and he's in great condition for this fight,” said Thompson, a 38-year-old former world title challenger.
“I couldn't have been more impressed with David in sparring, and he was twice the fighter I first thought he was. I just think this is going to be an easy win for him on November 13.”
Southpaw Thompson is considered one of premier heavyweight contenders in the world, having claimed the scalps of Luan Krasniqi, Dominic Guinn, Owen Beck and Chazz Witherspoon through the course of a ten-year professional career. Ranked at number twelve by the WBC, Thompson remains one of the most dangerous men in the division.
“I'm not a sparring partner at all,” said Thompson. “I think me being me is enough to get any heavyweight in the world ready for a fight - but I was there for me, not just him.
“I told David at the beginning that if he can hit me with right hands and beat the hell out of me in practice, he will destroy Audley Harrison. If David can do what he did to me, Audley's got no shot in this fight at all.
“Audley is nowhere near on this level. He's leagues below where I'm operating and that's just common boxing knowledge. Anybody that has ever watched a fight on television knows that.
“Audley might be an Olympic gold medallist, but he's nowhere near me as a pro. I've achieved, beaten good guys and mixed with the best, whereas Audley has achieved next to nothing so far.”
Haye's trainer Adam Booth described Thompson as 'the fighter Audley has always wanted to be', and the Washington southpaw believes the former Olympian lacks the necessary ingredients to thrive in the professional game.
“Audley's definitely got all the physical tools to be effective, but professional boxing is about so much more,” explained 'The Tiger'. “I carry a different mentality to the ring. I want to be aggressive, I want to make my tools count and I want to put a hurting on my opponent. Audley doesn't think the way David and I do. He's a different animal. If Audley carried a little bit of that same intent into the ring, he'd be a lot better off.
“To be honest, Audley probably has superior skills and athleticism to me, but that means nothing when you don't have the other stuff to go with it. I can put it all together much better than he can, and that's why I've beaten a lot of world-class guys and he hasn't even shared the ring with one yet.”
