Grosvenor Poker is giving fans something to watch this weekend with the premiere of its feature-length documentary starring David Haye.
The former boxing world champion partnered with Grosvenor in 2018 to learn the game’s basics. Along the way, Haye developed a passion for poker that still burns today.
Now, thanks to Grosvenor Poker, Stripe, and Amazon Prime, we get to see the highs and lows of his journey from beginner to contender.
Haye Documents Goliath Challenge
The documentary is called David Versus Goliath on account of Haye’s end goal of being a competitive player in Grosvenor’s Goliath tournament. Fans of poker will be able to stream or download it via Amazon Prime from April 17.
As shown in the trailer (below), Haye is supported by Team Grosvenor pros, including Jeff Kimber and Joe Beevers. We also get to see him join former boxer Audley Harrison in the Philippines, where he cashed in his first tournament.
David Versus Goliath inevitably draw comparisons between Haye’s sports background and poker.
From the start, we hear how Haye struggled after retiring from boxing. Poker has since filled the void that retirement opened, and became an outlet for the heavyweight’s competitive streak.
“Without a doubt, my success in the ring helped when taking on this challenge. As a fighter, I had to have a tunnel vision approach. It was always – will this help me become heavyweight champion of the world? – if the answer was yes, it would happen, if not I would pass. It was the same ahead of Goliath,” Haye said in a special Q&A.
However, the story that also resonates is Haye’s progression. In parts, it’s reminiscent of Chris Moneymaker’s 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event win.
Grosvenor Poker Creates Another Moneymaker Story
As an amateur and rank outsider, Moneymaker shocked the world when he beat Sammy Farha heads-up to win the 2003 Main Event. That win helped trigger the poker boom and created a legend.
Although Haye’s in-the-money finish at the 2019 GUKPT Goliath wasn’t as dramatic, it invokes the same ideas. Poker is built in the notion that anyone can rise up and win.
Unlike other sports where amateurs can’t compete with the pros, poker is open to all. This, combined with the idea that hard work pays off, helped the game flourish over the last two decades.
David Versus Goliath plays into this narrative and its release couldn’t have come at a better time. With people locked down due to the coronavirus pandemic, the documentary has the potential to reach a much wider audience than it may otherwise have.
Add to this David Haye’s mainstream profile, and it could bring a fresh wave of newbies into the game.
