David Haye - the good, the bad and the ugly

Retiring and staying retired is the toughest fight many a pugilist ever faces.

Sadly, boxers are renowned for fighting way beyond their sell by date. Despite thrilling fans for many years they are often the last to admit `It`s over’ and even if and when they do another pay day is all the motivation they need to step back in the ring.

But for David Haye who announced his departure from the ring on his 31st birthday just over a week ago, he leaves the sport in an excellent financial position having taken a healthy share of four pay-per-view events.

The former two weight world champion had carefully mapped out his vision before turning professional and cited `generating as much money as possible and financially securing my future’ as one of three main objectives alongside winning as many genuine titles as possible and leaving the sport in perfect physical and mental health.

Haye, who first laced up his gloves as a 10 year-old at the Fitzroy Lodge Amateur club in Lambeth, is a glowing success if measured by his original intentions, but some may remember him most for not being able to back up his heavy boasts of destroying Wladimir Klitschko.

If Haye maintains his retired status, that July night when Wladimir Klitschko gave him a boxing lesson (swiftly followed by a display of an injured toe) will be the performance on how an eight and a half year career is largely judged. One could also evidently argue that Haye never beat a top quality or prime heavyweight.

It isn`t further helped by the previous mass media non event against Audley Harrison, but that match was sold by Sky as the two former friends who had become foes and on the outside possibility of Harrison connecting with Haye`s chin.

Viewers who forked out £15 for Haye`s final two fights would no doubt still feel greatly short changed and as a result Sky sensibly rang the final bell on pay-per-view for the immediate future.

There isn`t much doubting that Haye was a lover of hype and admitted last week he will miss all the build up to fights but that sometimes spilled over into unsavoury comments.

In the lead up to the Harrison bout he shockingly promised the fight would be as one sided as a gang rape (can you imagine the look on a victim`s face on hearing such a sickening boast?) and caused further uproar by displaying decapitated heads of the Klitschko brothers on a t-shirt.

Having won the WBA heavyweight title in 2009 against the giant Nikolay Valuev, Haye made two successful defences yet only had six fights in the major division.

Haye captured the European cruiserweight crown in 2005 with a typical `Hayemaker’ display by knocking out Alexander Gurov in just 45 seconds, and made three defences before challenging for the world title in 2007.

Frenchman Jean Marc Mormeck had home advantage and seemed to be heading for victory when he floored Haye in the fourth round, but the Bermondsey man recovered before stopping the champion in round seven to claim the WBA and WBC belts.

Just four months later he added the WBO strap by blasting out British rival Enzo Maccarinelli before relinquishing his titles as he stepped up to heavyweight.

If Haye never fights again he finishes with a record of 25-2 including 23 knockouts. It was a quick fire career but critics soon wrote him and trainer Adam Booth off after Carl Thompson inflicted Haye`s first defeat by stopping him in the fifth round back in September 2004.

Thompson only fought once more so Haye`s chance of revenge was quashed. Haye is now planning an acting career, but a sizeable offer from either of the Klitschko brothers would probably lure him back.

If he returned and beat both of the Ukraine`s then his heavyweight legacy will be somewhat altered but as it stands Haye admits to falling short of fulfilling his ultimate dream as a heavyweight.

However, Haye, and Booth, can both be commended for their shrewd business heads. They refused the conventional promotion set up and wanted to maintain control of their destination. Haye has probably earned at least £10million from just four heavyweight title fights.

If Haye is sensible with his earnings, he won`t join the long list of broke former champions slurring their speech as they try to convince the paying public their worth of another shot.

Health and financial security are sometimes massively overlooked but surely a boxer bowing out with both his brain and bank balance in shape should be the priority.

While I don`t advocate some of the methods Haye used in drawing attention to his major fights, boxers do need to find a positive way of gaining exposure if their efforts are to be recognised and suitably rewarded.

Admittedly Haye won`t go down as the greatest British boxer ever.

Yet some have achieved far more but earned far less.