A biography for David Hayehasn’t been written yet.
“I'd like to be one of the ones who got out on his own terms.”
“If I hit the Klitschkos with the same shots I was hitting John Ruiz, both of them would go over.”
“To beat Wladimir Klitschko, I have to be better than I've ever been.”
“I always told everyone I'd be heavyweight champion of the world one day. They'd say, 'All right, whatever.' I said, 'OK, you'll see.'”
“There is no room for sentiment in a boxing ring.”
“Whenever the Klitschkos pick opponents who punch back, things go pear-shaped for them.”
“When I'm training, I use heavier crepe for wraps, for protection - but you're not allowed to use them in competition. So when it comes to the fight, the wraps are softer.”
“Even though he's a moron, I supported Tyson Fury.”
“I've got three Bentleys, a couple of Mercs, and two Range Rovers.”
“I've never been to Ukraine, but I have heard it's very dangerous for a black man. There are crazy racists who have already sent me death threats.”
“You can't fight if you're nervous.”
“It's sad to see boxers sometimes when they've come from these massive highs with thousands of people screaming for them. They're the best at what they do - then, that's it: stopped, finished.”
“I'm good at keeping on top of my emotions and not letting them influence the fight.”
“When someone unloads on me, I keep my head moving; I don't freeze. I punch back with them. The occasion never gets to me. Not one bit. I enjoy it.”
“One thing you can guarantee with the Travellers, they've got a lot of heart.”
“You need to stay hungry and not allow someone like John Ruiz to come over and mess you up in front of all your fans.”
“When I first went to Fitzroy Lodge, I said I was going to be heavyweight champion of the world and retire when I was 30. This is when I was 10.”
“Nobody will hold it against him if he cancels the fight with Dereck Chisora - the public aren't interested in that fight; nobody knows who he is. It is pretty sad but shows the mindset of Wladimir Klitschko and why he will go down in history as a heavyweight who just fought the worst possible people out there.”
“I'm a showman.”
“Fight fans just want to see the best against the best - if only it was that simple.”