TOO bad David Haye didn?t get the memo: You need more than a loud mouth and a rasta haircut to beat Wladimir Klitschko.
In the months leading up to the fight, David Haye talked a lot of smack about how the Klitschko brothers were afraid of him, of how he was going to expose them and all that effluvia.
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When a date with Wladimir was lined up early this year, he upped the ante by parading a shirt showing the Klitschko brothers with their heads chopped off.
As it turned out last Sunday, he nearly got decapitated by that booming Klistchko jab–so much so that he retreated into a shell and hardly was a threat in the one-sided fight.
LEWIS VS. TUA. It was reminiscent of another much-hyped heavyweight title fight a decade ago which failed to live up to expectations.
Circa 2000, there was another dominant 6?6? heavyweight champion with the punishing jab and a killer right behind it. He also had a ?chinny? reputation.
And he too was matched up against a fearsome brawler, with a take-no-prisoners approach who coincidentally just happened to be named David too.
And like David Haye who sports dreadlocks, David Tua came into the fight with some hairy antics of his own by showing up with his hair styled straight up like protruding spikes.
And just like David Haye, David Tua was jabbed silly by Lennox Lewis for 12 straight rounds en route to a lopsided unanimous decision win.
Afterwards, Lennox stated that it took more than a bad haircut and left hook to beat him.
EXCUSES. Haye?s much-talked about aggression never materialized as he was kept at bay by Klitsckho?s ramrod-like jab, which pretty much stifled any offensive output he had in mind.
And just to remind him of what lay ahead if decided to be more reckless, Klitsckho?s anvil of a right hand connected with regularity.
Afterwards, the garrulous Haye blamed a swollen toe as the reason for his poor, uninspired performance, alleging that he couldn?t push off it for more power.
Really, David? I?ve heard worse, but your excuse has got to be right up there with Antonio Tarver?s ?must-be-something-in-the steaks? pretext in losing to Bernard Hopkins.
The power in your fists was not an issue David. Landing cleanly was. And oh, there was also the not-so-small matter of a skilled, powerful opponent who was more precise and accurate with his blows.
All told, Klitsckho?s performance wasn?t that exciting either. I predicted a late stoppage win for him, but it seems like this giant of a heavyweight has lost some of the killer instinct he had early in his career. Blame that on all those times he tasted the canvass after tangling with some big punchers.
Wonder no more why the heavyweight division has lost its oomph. Apparently, the best fight that could be made was between a hesitant Goliath and a reluctant David.
DAPUDONG. Another Filipino fighter fell short in his bid overseas as Edrin Dapudong (22-4, 13KOs) was stopped in three rounds by Hernan ?Tyson? Marquez (31-2, 24KOs).
Was the stoppage appropriate?
The replay showed that Marquez landed a left to Dapudong?s face around the 1:20 mark, which deposited the latter to the canvas with his back pressed against the ropes.
He got up at five and the ref continued to count. When he was asked if he wanted to continue, he was seemingly out of breath but he held up his gloves to motion his willingness but he was moving to his left, away from Marquez with reluctant, glassy eyes.
The ref opted to waive it off, but nary a whimper of immediate protest is elicited from Dapudong. To me, that is a mark of a beaten fighter and so the stoppage wasn?t as controversial as some would have it appear.
LAST ROUNDS. Are on Yvette Jelinne Yntig-Dapat of Blessed Trinity Achievers Academy and Stephen Villamor of Step-V Trading who recently celebrated their birthdays. Cheers!
