After slugging it out at the 2019 Goliath, David Haye has become an official Grosvenor Poker ambassador and will help the company’s post-COVID-19 return.
The retired heavyweight boxer first linked up with Grosvenor in 2018. With his competitive urges still burning, he took on the challenge of learning poker ahead of his debut at the 2019 Goliath.
His route from amateur to giant killer was fraught with ups and downs, but he came good in the end. After finishing 40th out of 9,300 entries, Haye’s passion for poker is burning bright, and that’s led to a sponsorship deal with Grosvenor.
Haye Indulging His Poker Passion
The two parties made the deal public on Monday, three months after the release of the documentary titled “David vs. Goliath.” Out now on Amazon Prime, the documentary charts Haye’s early experiences on the felt. He’ll now continue this journey as part of Team Grosvenor Poker.
To mark the deal, Grosvenor has launched a new series of Hayemaker Bounty tournaments. Running online from tomorrow, the MTTs will give players a chance to knock out the former boxer, and help Haye to hone his skills.
From there, Grosvenor’s latest recruit will have the opportunity to play the 2020 Goliath Online. Due to COVID-19 restrictions in the UK, casinos are still on lockdown. As such, the record-breaking mass-participation tournament will take place online between August 1 and 10.
When live poker returns to the UK, Haye will head out on the circuit to compete in GUKPT events. Having a world-class sports star on the books is a coup for Grosvenor Poker. Although it has a team of experienced pros, David Haye will attract interest from outside the game.
Grosvenor Looking to Bounce Back After COVID-19
This is a strategy PokerStars and Partypoker have used to good effect in recent years. Working with the likes of soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo and ex-boxing champ Carl Froch, the two have gained mainstream exposure.
Grosvenor will venture into the same waters with Haye’s help. This could be critical given the impact of COVID-19. Online poker has thrived during the lockdown, but casinos have suffered, including those owned by Grosvenor’s parent company, the Rank Group.
Despite COVID-proofing its casinos, Rank hasn’t been able to resume operations. What’s more, with its competitor, Genting UK, announcing the permanent closure of its poker rooms, Rank needs to innovate in order to avoid having to make the same tough choices.
Partnering with Haye is one way to do that. It won’t be the one and only solution, but it’s a start. As British poker operators contemplate life after COVID-19, expect more innovations as they look to parlay a recent surge of online activity into packed live events.
