David Haye - The man who defeated Goliath get’s a telling off from Mum

November 9, 2009 by Baby Chums
Filed under: Celebrity Baby News, News

David Haye returns home as the latest British heavyweight boxing champion of the world. He defeated 7ft 2in Russian giant Nikolay Valuev, nicknamed, “Goliath” on points.

His biggest contender outside of the ring however…is his mum.

David Haye, aged nine months, with his mum Jane

Mother Jane Haye is upset that her son was ‘too rude’ to Nikolai Valuev.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, she said she had already given her 29-year-old son a stern telling off.

Leading up to the fight Haye said of Valuev: ‘He is the ugliest thing I have ever seen. I have watched Lord of the Rings and films with strange-looking people, but for a human being to look like he does is pretty shocking.’

Daid Haye also taunted his opponent about the ‘matted’ hair on his chest and back, adding: ‘The word around the campfires is that he doesn’t smell too sweet.’

Neither of these public taunts impressed his mother:

‘I said to him, could you not just be so personal?’ she said. ‘I mean, did you have to call him smelly?

‘It’s not very nice, calling him ugly. He’s not an ugly man, he’s just a big man.’

Mrs Haye, a librarian at South Bank University, also attempted to set the record straight about her son’s ‘bad boy’ image.

In the Daily Mail last year, David Haye spoke of having ‘lots of scraps’ during his childhood in Bermondsey.

His mother denied this: “David never used to hang around the streets of Bermondsey,’” said Mrs Haye, whose husband Deron, born in Jamaica, is a cab driver.

“He never got involved in street fights. When my son says the streets of Bermondsey were tough, it sounds like he was dragged up. He wasn’t. His dad used to drive him around everywhere.

Mum, Jane Haye backlashed against his portrayal of a wayward childhood, defending her parenting:
“I suppose he wants to portray a picture of a bad boy made good. But he wasn’t a bad boy. We were there for him.”

David Haye is the first British heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis retired in 2003. Marrying his sweetheart Natasha last year, the couple have an 18-month-old son Cassius, named after Cassius Clay, the original name of his idol Muhammad Ali, (Also famed for taunting his opponents in the build up to a fight).

David’s father, Deron Haye, 54, is recovering from a spine operation, both parents instead watched the fight on TV.

Mrs Haye said: “It’s awful as a mother watching your son in a boxing match. My heart was pounding, but as the fight went on I realised he was in complete control.”

David Haye said of his win: “Winning the title means everything to me. From when I was a little baby I said I’d be the heavyweight champion of the world and my dream is now reality. I fought the biggest heavyweight champion in history and defeated him.”