Haye vs Gjergjaj is almost here, folks, though I type that with fairly limited enthusiasm. Ex-champ David Haye brings plenty of excitement to the Heavyweight division, but his opponent Arnold Gjergjaj is one of those obscure names even most hardcore fans aren’t familiar with. This will come as Haye’s second dustup since returning to the ring against another no-hoper in Mark de Mori in January. A way-over-the-hill Shannon Briggs will be fighting on the chief support, supposedly set to bag a retirement check by facing Haye next.
Do I sound awfully cynical about the return of the Hayemaker? Alright, I’ll reach for some positives in Saturday opponent Gjergjaj; while I’m not prepared to sugarcoat the Kosovo-born brawler’s opposition level, he is, for what it’s worth, unbeaten, heavy-handed, three years younger than Haye, and stands two inches taller at 6’ 5”. The Tale of the Tape, Facts & Stats (below) will have everything you need to know about this matchup which will unfold at the O2 Arena in London.
Going in, Haye carries 27 wins, 2 defeats, 25 knockouts, while Gjergjaj will be fighting out of his adopted Switzerland for the first time, putting his undefeated slate of 29 wins, 21 knockouts on the line.
Haye vs Gjergjaj: Fight Night Lowdown
Fight Time & TV Channel
Haye vs Gjergjaj will unfold on UK boxing mecca ‘Dave’. OK, that was a bad joke, but I’m feeling pretty sarcy right now so give me a break. Dave is better known for airing cheeky iconic British sitcoms, and now Haye fights apparently. Anyway, the fight will air Live from that station on May 21st, with the night’s action set to begin at 8pm GMT, and the main players expected to be in the ring sometime around 10:00pm.
Haye vs Gjergjaj: Undercard
Shannon Briggs vs TBA – 10 rounds, Heavyweight
Shannon Briggs, 44, was a world champ many moons ago, and basically bullied his way onto this card by crashing a Haye press conference. Or, though the thought is heart-breaking for anyone who loves boxing, maybe the whole thing – the theatrics and all that jazz – was actually schemed some time ago by both camps? Pass me an aspirin someone.
Anyway, Briggs is back (well, finally on a big card), and will be trying to make a hell of a statement against the ever-threatening TBA. Now, I’m no oddsmaker, but I’d be pretty confident in backing Briggs (59-6-1, 52 KO) to look good against an opponent who now has less than a week to prepare. Unless, you know, Deontay Wilder (who has apparently refused to fight a dope-test-failed Alexander Povetkin this weekend) fancies filling in.
Lee Markham vs Joe Mullender – 10 rounds, Middleweight
This isn’t a particularly intriguing contest, but at least looks evenly matched; not to mention the most competitive fight of the night on paper. Lee Markham (15-3-1, 7 KO) has been narrowly beaten in the biggest nights of his career in 2015, losing close decisions to Jahmaine Smyle and Luke Blackledge, and settling for a Draw against Frank Buglioni. Markham is a fighter through and through, and his fortitude is something that deserves praise even if he is considered a strong domestic-type. Joe Mullender (9-1, 4 KO) has a prettier record, but hasn’t danced with what you’d call decent opposition, meaning it’s his time to clock up a career-defining win here if his future ambitions are lofty.
Haye vs Gjergjaj: Extended Tale of the Tape, Facts & Stats
Note: Advantageous stats are indicated in red (some may be subjective), and championship stats refer to ‘fully fledged world titles’ only.
David Haye vs Arnold Gjergjaj
Physical/Vital
Birthplace
London, England … Gjakova, Kosovo
Age
35 … 31
Height
6’ 3” … 6′ 5″
Reach
78” … Unobtainable
Stance
Orthodox … Orthodox
Record
Debut
2002 … 2009
Bouts
29 … 29
Wins
27 … 29
Defeats
2 … 0
Draws
0 … 0
No Contests
0 … 0
Knockout Ratio
86% (25) … 72% (21)
1st Round Knockouts
9 … 5
2nd Round Knockouts
5 … 4
3rd Round Knockouts
3 … 5
4th – 6th Round Knockouts
4 … 3
Defeats by Knockout
1 … 0
Knockdowns Suffered
3 … 1
Rounds Boxed
120 … 123
12-Rounders Completed
3 … 1
Current Winning Streak
2 … 29
Undefeated Fighters Defeated
2 … 2
Latest Win
Mark de Mori (TKO 1) … Marino Goles (TKO 1)
World Title Bout Experience
Wins
5 … NA
Defeats
1 … NA
Draws
0 … NA
No Contests
0 … NA
Successful Defenses
3 … NA
Longest Championship Reign
11/2008 – 07/2011 … NA
Major Titles Won
WBA, WBO, WBC (200 lbs), WBA (200+) … NA
Major Titles Currently Held
None … NA
Boxing Base Top 10 World Ranking
Unranked … Unranked
Notable Performances
HAYE: Mark de Mori (TKO 1), Dereck Chisora (TKO 5), Wladimir Klitschko (LOSS: UD 12), Audley Harrison (TKO 3), John Ruiz (TKO 9), Nikolay Valuev (MD 12), Monte Barrett (TKO 5), Enzo Maccarinelli (TKO 2), Jean Marc Mormeck (TKO 7), Tomasz Bonin (TKO 1), Giacobbe Fragomeni (TKO 9), Ismail Abdoul (UD 12), Lasse Johansen (TKO 8), Alexander Gurov (KO 1), Vincenzo Rossitto (TKO 2), Glen Kelly (TKO 2), Garry Delaney (RTD 3), Carl Thompson (LOSS: TKO 5)
GJERGJAJ: Marino Goles (TKO 1), Denis Bakhtov (UD 12), Adnan Redzovic (KO 9), Gilberto Matheus Domingos (TKO 1)
What’s your take on Boxing Base’s Haye vs Gjergjaj Tale of the Tape, Facts & Stats? And how do you see the action playing out at the weekend? We’ll have Live Results Coverage here on BB, plus Live Round by Round Updates via @BoxingBase.
