Background and career
David Deron Haye (born 13 October 1980) is a British former professional boxer who competed between 2002 and 2018. He held the unified, and the Ring magazine cruiserweight championship from 2007 to 2008; and the WBA heavyweight title from 2009 to 2011. At regional level, he held the European cruiserweight title from 2005 to 2007. As an amateur, he was the first British boxer to reach the final of the World Championships, where he won a silver medal in 2001. Haye was ranked by BoxRec as the world's No.1 cruiserweight from 2005 to 2007, and was also ranked within ten best in 2003 and 2004. Along with Evander Holyfield and Oleksandr Usyk, Haye is one of only three boxers in history to have unified the cruiserweight world titles and become a world heavyweight champion. As of June 2026, BoxRec ranks Haye as the greatest British cruiserweight of all time and the 52nd greatest overall British fighter. Haye founded his own boxing promotional firm, Hayemaker Promotions, in 2008. He became a vegan in 2014 and launched his own range of vegan protein powder later that year.
David Deron Haye was born in the Bermondsey area of London on 13 October 1980. He grew up in Bermondsey for most of his childhood, and attended Bacon's College in Rotherhithe.
At the age of eighteen, Haye competed in the light-heavyweight division at the 1999 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Houston, Texas. He knocked out then-ABA light-heavyweight champion Courtney Fry, but missed out on the 2000 Sydney Olympics after a controversial defeat in the qualifier in which he was eliminated by experienced American Michael Simms early in the contest. At the 2001 World Championships in Belfast, Haye fought in the heavyweight division where he defeated Sebastian Köber to reach the final. In this bout he managed to score a standing eight count against Odlanier Solís, but was later stopped by the Cuban in round three to earn a silver medal. Haye's claimed amateur record was 83–13 though his wins are likely half that amount and he has been found to have a few more losses.
Based in Bermondsey, Haye turned professional in December 2002, aged 22. In his first fight he defeated Tony Booth via second-round corner retirement (RTD). In 2003 he won seven fights, two of which were the only fights he has fought in the United States. He won all by knockout (KO), the most notable being a fourth-round KO of Lolenga Mock, in which Haye had to come off the floor to win. Haye's fights were regularly seen on the BBC and his popularity began to grow in 2004, when he dispatched the 39-year-old former world champion "King" Arthur Williams in three rounds.
Later that year, in his eleventh fight, he fought 40-year-old former WBO champion Carl Thompson in a 'youth vs. experience' match-up. Haye started fast and alarmingly caught Thompson with constant barrages of power punches, coming close to forcing a stoppage at numerous points over the first few rounds. Gradually, despite the early punishment he received, Thompson warmed up and worked his way into the fight whilst Haye seemed to tire and slow down. Thompson began to pressure Haye and knocked Haye down with a chopping right hand in round five. With seven seconds left in the round, Thompson landed two jabs followed by a flush right hand which cleanly caught a fatigued Haye, and compelled Haye's corner to throw in the towel; Haye was leading on all three scorecards before the stoppage.
Haye returned against Estonian Valery Semishkur, winning by technical knockout (TKO) in round one, then defeated Garry Delaney by a third-round TKO. Following two more fights against Glen Kelly and Vincenzo Rossitto, Haye faced Alexander Gurov for the European cruiserweight title. Haye easily knocked out Gurov with a single right hand in just 45 seconds.
