I’ve taken a few days before writing this day, as the immedate reaction after a fight, is not always the correct one. However, my annoyance after the event I witnessed on Saturday night, has not lessened, but if anything intensified.
After all the ballyhoo and bragadoccio, the stupid t-shirts and the puffed up swagger, David Haye’s attempt to wrest the titles from Wladimir Klitchsko failed as abjectly as the last 13 opponents. As I had said in my pre-fight preview last week, Haye’s chances were always very slim, and with the way he fought, he made them even slimmer.
Despite all the claims that he would destroy, decapitate or otherwise marmalise Wladimir, Haye fought entirely to form, displaying the same lack of intensity and unwillingness to engage his opponent as he had against Nicolai Valuev. Against smaller men like Barrett, Ruiz and Bonin, Haye was able to potshot at will whilst not taking anything in return. Even against the pacifistic Audley Harrison, Haye fought with extreme circumspection and caution.
Against Wlad, Haye had no plan B when his tactics of trying to wing in a big power shot from long range failed and after the third round, he had little success. Writing a full fight report seems rather superfluous ? the pattern didn’t really change for the entire fight. Wlad put Haye on the back foot from the opening second and waved the jab in front of Haye as he pushed him away from the centre of the ring, popping it into Haye’s face, and occasionally landed a big right hand or very occasional left hook. Meanwhile Haye circled the ring, out of range on the back foot, and mostly missed with wild hooks and crosses. Haye had a few moments, but they were few and far between and he never consistently applied any pressure, as he has claimed he would in the pre fight press conferences. Haye spent too much time looking for openings, and not enough creating them.
From midway it was clear that only one result was inevitable, a Wlad win, after the ninth, it seemed clear that it would be a distance fight, as Wlad had established a winning lead, and Haye had no desire to force the issue and get knocked out.
Haye never changed tactics, even when it was clear that he was a mile behind on the scorecards All in all, it was a very dissapointing spectacle. It was a masterclass from Wladimir, but it was about as competitive as a heavy bag session.
Haye unfortunately, has made a rod for his own back. He would have had the plaudits had he won, and must now accept the brickbats that he has lost. His lack of humility before the event, his swaggering and insulting demeanour would all have been forgotten by the British public had he won, but now he must accept the disgruntled dissafection that he has engendered in them.
It’s easy for me to say I know, I’m sitting here on the sofa writing, not fighting, but then again, I’m not being paid million of pounds for an article ? more’s the pity. If you talk big before the fight, then you have to accept the consequences when you lose, and more’s the point, lose meekly.
Haye has stated that he may put his retirement plans on hold. It’s hard to see where he goes from here. It seems unlikely he would want to stay around long enough to outlast the brothers and take over the division, and not that likely he would be able to dominate the division anyway. As a cruiserweight, Haye was an aggressive and energetic puncher, who threw fast combinations.
I personally expect Haye will retire now. He talked himself into a tilt at the title, after taking a soft route through the heavyweight division, made a reported ?10 million, and didn’t get beaten up in the process. He wont want to fight unless it’s a big money fight and I don’t think he’s going to get the rematch or fight with Vitali he wants.
I sincerely hope that Haye isn’t going to be afforded a chance of fighting Vitali, he simply doesn’t deserve it, and has no chance of winning. He would offer the same resistance he offered Wladimir. The only difference is that Vitali, being a much more aggresive volume puncher, as well as a more spiteful fighter generally would probably go for, and get the stoppage.
Vitali will probably be gone in a year or so, but Wlad may well have three or four years left ? the only risk is that he will retire due to lack of decent challengers. I cannot see either man losing any time soon. Haye will have to wait a while if he wants to take over anything. Whilst there are men Haye can beat at heavyweight, he is always going to struggle with the divisions larger men.
A move down to cruiserweight seems unlikely also, too low profile and with smaller paydays, what would Haye’s incentive be? Haye is a good heavyweight, but not an exceptional one ? without the physical advantages he enjoyed at cruiserweight, of relatively impressive height and reach, he becomes quite vulnerable. It is possible that he can regroup and make another surge at heavyweight, but I think it is more likely he will try and talk his way into a fight with Vitali, or a rematch with Wlad. I don’t think either are likely as the buying public won’t be interested in paying to see him turn in another damp squib performance. That being the case, he may try and set up a big money fight with a UK based heavyweight as a swansong. I can only see him fighting again if the money is right and I’m not sure there is a domestic fight out there that the paying public are going to buy into.
If i seem vitriolic toward Haye, or even unreasonable in my criticism, then bear in mind that Haye talked his way into a multi million pound payday with Wladimir, and much of that money was provided by paying punters on pay per view platforms. I for one didn’t pay for the fight. I have refused to pay for a pay per view for some time now, unless I feel it is likely to be a competitive fight. I never believed this one would be.
Had Haye forced the fight more, the chances are he would have been knocked out, as Wlad was always able to time his rushes. However, he would have been given due credit for doing everything in his power to win the fight. He owed the paying public that much I think.
Carl Froch, probably the British fighter with the best resume of the last 20 years, certainly in such a short period, has made I would guess way less than half what Haye has made. However even in his only loss, he gave absolutely everything trying to knock Mikkel Kessler out. When losing by a country mile to Jermaine Taylor, he forced the fight and got a knockout win in the dying second of the fight. Whilst Haye may retire far richer, than Froch, Froch will be remembered with greater affection due to his do or die attitude. Such is the legacy fighters choose for themselves. Haye has had a good career, one to be rightly proud of. He was undisputed cruiserweight champion and rose in weight to challenge one of the most dominant heavweights of the last two decades. However, it is hard to shake off the sneaking suspicion that his career at heavyweight was more style than substance, and that he was mugging the public off. He did well to sell the fight to the unknowing majority, the casual sports fans who buye into jingoistic nationalistic hype. Those who paid their 15 pounds to watch the British PPV, must now feel a slight sting.
As for the toe injury, whilst I am sure it is genuine, I do not believe had any bearing on the result. Haye circled the ring all night, so clearly his movement wasn’t hampered. I’m sure an injection of anaesthetic would have killed any discomfort he felt. American football players routinely play through long standing injuries for entire seasons in this manner. I feel it was rather classless of Haye to take the credit away from his opponent in this manner. Wlad may not be the most exhilerating of Heavyweight champions, but throughout the preamble to the fight and after it, he comported himself with dignity. It’s a lesson that Haye could do with learning.
However with the millions he has made, I’m sure that he is pretty hapy with the way that things have panned out.
