In this day and age, social media is a powerful tool. Just ask Australian Mark De Mori (30-1-2), who, thanks to a tweet, was able to secure himself a showdown with former heavyweight champion David Haye. Although De Mori has performed admirably under the radar for a large part of his career, most of the hype and intrigue about their January 16 encounter will center around the return of Haye. That sits just fine with De Mori, who seems to be more than pleased that he was able to secure the opportunity thanks to a few strokes on his keyboard.
"What is the worst that can happen, he ignores me? Well, I thought I got everything David Haye needs for a comeback. I have a world ranking, I'm ready to fight, I am not going to be hard to deal with, and I'm not going to demand ridiculous money, so I just put it out there. When he started replying, I thought great, but couldn't actually believe it got to the point where the fight was going to happen. I thought it would be more social media talk, as when I have contacted fighters before, it has just been talk; nothing ever happened," De Mori explained during a recent conversation with FightHype.com.
He is certainly not wrong when he says nothing usually comes from tweeting, but on this occasion, it did and it is a life-changing opportunity for the 6'2" Aussie. With Haye's long layoff and the previous injuries he suffered, no one is really sure how the former world champion will perform. Keep in mind that the last time Haye had a fight lined up, a cut above the eye as well as an inured rotator cuff twice cancelled a scheduled showdown with Tyson Fury. In fact, it was the shoulder surgery that prompted Haye to announce his retirement in the first place.
When asked about his expectations of Haye in the opening rounds, De Mori commented, "I'm expecting fireworks, as that is my fight plan to get in his face straight away. I think the time off has done him well. He has got a new trainer, so it is probably more interesting for him again, but look, when you have shoulder surgery and haven't fought in a long time, there are always questions in the back of your mind. As much as you want to tell them you think you're ready and better than ever, every fighter in history has said that before every fight, so it's hard to take too seriously."
Under trainer Adam Booth, an excellent tactician, Haye would adopt a cautious approach in some fights, biding his time and pacing himself before unleashing what he has labeled "The Hayemaker" when the opportunity arises. It was rare when we would see Haye engage in a slugfest as a heavyweight. Instead, he would use his lateral movement and patience to set the trap to land big shots before going for the finish. It was a game plan that Haye was very good at, but with Booth now departing Haye's corner and Shane McGuigan, trainer of world champion Carl Frampton, replacing him, people are speculating a change of style for the Hayemaker. It's a belief that De Mori also shares.
"Yeah, I think there will be a change of style. He will probably be a little bit more aggressive, a little more hand up. David has that energy in him to generate a lot of power, but has to stop for gas every so often, like a high-powered Ferrari. Like he can do a great thing, but then stop for gas. I hope he chooses that fight plan because after a few rounds, I don't think it is going to work for him, and once you get hit in a fight, you always try and revert back to what you do naturally, like the style he had for so long. So, you know, when the pressure is on or you're tired, you are always going to go back to the way you fought most of your life," De Mori continued.
After so long out of the ring, a more aggressive style could work against Haye. In this writer's opinion, we could see a combination of the new Haye and the Haye from the Adam Booth era, knowing that after three years out of the ring, becoming too aggressive can backfire. If Haye fails to close the show during those aggressive moments, he'll be wasting energy, so a style similar to the one we've been accustomed to from Haye, patiently waiting to creates his openings before unleashing combinations, would not be surprising. With that in mind, De Mori understands the need to study the Haye from the past, but he's more focused on getting things right on his end.
"Right now, I have studied Haye a lot. I've always studied my opponents at every level. You know, I'm like a statistician. I will write down everything, how many punches they throw, what combinations they like, I break it down to a ridiculously specific level. It is very hard though to find guys like Haye with his explosive power, but at the moment, I am focusing on my strategy. Haye is always going to be explosive and have that agile style, so I'm more focused on improving myself and less about what he can and can't do with the new trainer," De Mori added.
Smart words from a man who appears extremely intelligent when discussing his boxing. Make no mistakes about it, De Mori is well aware of the challenge that is put before him, knowing that despite injuries and despite a layoff, Haye has the ability to end a fight in a matter of seconds.
Be sure to tune in on January 16 to witness the return of David Haye. Whether you are a fan, a hater, or just for the sheer intrigue, you don't want to miss the return to the ring of the most colorful and controversial characters boxing has produced.
David Haye takes on Mark de Mori at The O2 on January 16. For tickets, visit axs.com. #HayemakerIsBack