12/21/24
March 16, 2011
Boxer Doesn't Regret 'Gang Rape' Remark: World Boxing Association heavyweight champion David Haye said that he does not regret saying last year that an upcoming fight would be "as one-sided as a gang rape" and his opponent Audley Harrison would "get violated in that ring." "I don't regret anything I say," Haye explained. "To be honest, the most controversial things I've said actually give me more column inches. So the more controversial you are, the more column inches you get. The more column inches you get, the more people are aware you're a boxer. The more people know you're a boxer, the more people are interested if you win or lose ... the more they pay pay-per-views."
I'd never heard of him until reading this story, and now I'll be rooting for him to get the shit kicked out of him by Harrison. Not to the extent that I'll kick down $50 to watch it happen, but a hell of a lot more than five minutes ago. Just like Vince McMahon and his predecessors learned a long time ago, bad guys often sell tickets better than good guys.
Although I might pay if he was fighting a real American like Hulk Hogan or Hacksaw Jim Duggan
posted by tahoemoj at 03:47 PM on March 16, 2011
What's a British boxer doing talking about column inches?
posted by phaedon at 05:17 PM on March 16, 2011
now I'll be rooting for him to get the shit kicked out of him by Harrison
Uh, you're a bit late on that.
posted by etagloh at 06:16 PM on March 16, 2011
now I'll be rooting for him to get the shit kicked out of him by Harrison some other guy
Better? I stand by my point, though.
posted by tahoemoj at 07:22 PM on March 16, 2011
I'll resist the urge to make a comparison between the amount of fight someone being gang-raped puts up to the amount of fight displayed by Audley Harrison.
Instead, I'll just note for those not familiar with him, that David Hayes is the best heavyweight in the world not named "Klitschko", and currently the best (and only, really) hope to defeat either of the brothers (and is currently scheduled to face Wladimir this summer, but I doubt that will happen).
However, he is a boxer, and thus, the easiest way he can get his name into papers is to say stupid things. See Mayweather, Floyd Jr, or Margarito, Antonio.
posted by Bonkers at 08:50 PM on March 16, 2011
It was a mismatch on paper, a mismatch in the ring, and a sordid, grubby bit of money-making; Haye's stupid comments were just the icing on the cake. He's not going to be running his mouth off like that if a Klitschko fight happens.
posted by etagloh at 06:31 PM on March 17, 2011
His statements are both perverse and true.