Retro Thread - Where were you the night of Enzo V Haye ? - 8th/9th March 2008

[White Tiger]

Next Saturday will be July 2nd 2011.

Its the big one - defining fight in the career of David Deron Haye.

In years to come - we will recall where we were the night - Haye fought Wlad or Vitali on July 2nd 2011.

For me it will stand out in the memory of where I was on other boxing historical nights in my life.

Watching Benn V Eubank in my front living room with my father and brothers - while my mother went to bed.

Watching Benn V McCllellan in my bedroom and willing Benn on every inch of the way.

Watching Hamed become World Champion down the Rugby Club pissed up on cheap white cider - in a room full of welsh people scraming on Robbo.

Listening on the radio in my bedroom when Bruno was crowned world champion with Nigel Benn on the undercard and again on the radio when Bruno lost the world title got destroyed by Tyson with Ricardo Lopez on the undercard.

Also remeber coming home pissed from a night of underage drinking - crashing out out on the bed - and listening as Nigel Benns last fight as a world champion slowly ebbed away from him as Sugar Boy Malinga outpointed him.

Some great boxing memorys going back through the years.

In more recent times - I remeber well another defining David Haye fight.

Probaly the one that launched him into the main stream.

It was by far the biggest fight of his career to date - in terms of media publicity and arena and crowd and TV audience and his pay cheque.

Haye was fresh back from his crusade to France where he plundered the WBC / WBA Crusierweight titles of Jean Marc Mormeck.

Now Haye was claiming he was the best Crusierweight in the world.

But he wasnet the only Glamour Boy World Cruiserweight Champion in Britain.

Step forward....................

His opponnet - Swansea Banger - WBO KING - Enzo Maccarinelli.

Just who was the best Crusierweight in the world ?

I remeber the time well.

Major hype in Swansea - posters on Billboards.

Biggest fight Swansea had seen in years.

A WBO / WBC / WBA /RING Magazine / Linear / mega fight.

Disunited Kingdom promotion.

Bombs aways posters on walls.

I worked at the time with 2 people who had known Enzo personally.

One knew him from years ago - drinking cider down the park.

Another knew him because he had trained in the same gym as Enzo and wanted to see Haye smash Enzo up - because he thought Enzo was "big headed".

Really looking forward to that fight.

I remeber it was around the time as well - one week before Denman V Kauto Star were going to go against each other in the Cheltenham Gold Cup - so two back to back weeks of mouthwatering sporting action.

I watched the fight at home on Setanta - quite boring I know - but I remeber around the time of that fight so well - stands out in the mind.

So where were you that fateful night ?

I will jog your memory of the events of that night - just for you to remeber.

March 8th 2008

London , England - UK

The city was buzzing - Showtime TV were in town - Evander Holyfield was in town - the whole of London was the focus of big attention.

Ferries were shipping fans to the arena up and down the docklands.

Blokes taking their missus to the fight - even if they were into boxing - because it was such a big event.

The crowd at the 02 started to fill up.

Loads of celebritys in the crowd..........

Frank Bruno
Holyfield
Ant and Dec
Michelle Heaton
Tincy Strider
Beyonce and Jay Z
Melaine Sykes
Amir Khan
Bruce Forsyth
Simon Cowell

Joe Calzaghe and Emma Jo Larvin (their seat was empty at this stage though as they werent there and just said "reserved")

Ashely Cole
Frank Lampard and Elen Rives
Will I AM
Andy Murray
Gary Barlow
Dermot O Leary
Lewis Hamilton
George Michael

And so many more big stars.

Haye had just arrived also - looked calm and relaxed with his headphones on and sipping a bottle of water.

Showtime and Setanta were ready for the main event - just over a hour to go until the ring walks.

People across the East and West Coasts of America were tuning in - to watch the huge event.

People all over Asia and Austrilia and Europe - all tuned into the mega fight.

There were only one set of people missing from the arena.

Team Maccarinelli -

Enzo Maccarinelli
Enzo Calzaghe
Joe Calzaghe
Emma Jo Larvin

Where were they ?

Just a few miles away from the arena a blue Vauxhall People Carrier was parked up outside Mickeys Fish and Chip Shop.

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/...tar20725_7.gif

http://www.yell.com/reviews/uploads/...7c.c140x90.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3559/...7272080203.jpg

Maccarinelli was tucking into Pie and Chips and so was Enzo Calzaghe in the front seat. They washed it down with a can of fizzy drink.

Joe Calzaghe was smooching Jo Emma Larvin in the back seat and next to them was the training bag - consisting of Pads to warm up, bandages , Gumshield and Shorts - but was missing a hair brush and hair gel.

Some time later that Blue Vauxhall People Carrier pulled into the 02 car park with the main beam headlight out.

This is when Maccarinelli started to have serious doubts..............

Was he ready for Haye - after never fought anyone in the top 30 ?

Was tap sparring with Bradely Price and Gavin Rees for the last 8 weeks suficent enough preparation for fighting Haye ?

And he started to doubt - Enzo Calzaghes shocking lack of nutrional diet advice for a athelte - as he began to digest the greasy meal Enzo Calzaghe had just encouraged him to get down his neck to "give him the strength to beat that Haye"

The rest as they say is history .................

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Where were you that fateful night ?

[GPater11093]

I was lieing on my bed watching the legal Setanta stream on my computer eating about 3 easter eggs

[Little Tyson]

I was sitting in 100 pound seats. Someone behind us in a suit fell asleep and they kept calling him cherry bakewell and telling him to get up. Someone also did (like all fights) a fart that smelt like rotting corpses. Literally happens at every boxing match. Oh and there was some crazy lady shouting for Haye while her boyfriend, I assume, looked away embarrassed at his partners enthusiasm. Great night...Had to wait 3 hours for a taxi though piss take.

i saw Calzaghes bird fall off her seat at ringside

[Betty Swollocks]

no mention of the absent hair gel? Enzo even called himself Swansea's pretty boy, so shocked he went in there with the fluffy hair at the back wafting about.

I watched it at home. As soon as Haye had stopped him, I cracked an egg on the edge of my table, just to recreate Enzo's egg chin getting smashed.

[Betty Swollocks]

sorry, just saw the hair gel was mentioned.

What about Enzo sprinting to the ring, what did you make of that White Tiger?
Tactics or nerves? Or stomach problems after the chippy?


by the way, how is your mate, the one doing really well for himself, is the thug still after him?

[theuppercut]

I had to help my larger than life mate out of a nightclub after he drank too much too soon. Threw up in the toilets (twas a posh establishment) and the bouncers got heavy. And it soon kicked off.

So after that and a late night Indian, we met up with mates back at a flat and watched the fight.

Setanta did a great job of hyping the fight.

[GazOC]

At the O2 after a looooong day on the beer around Greenwich watching the rugby internationals and a Chelsea FA cup tie.

[White Tiger]

Originally Posted by Betty Swollocks

sorry, just saw the hair gel was mentioned.

What about Enzo sprinting to the ring, what did you make of that White Tiger?
Tactics or nerves? Or stomach problems after the chippy?

by the way, how is your mate, the one doing really well
for himself, is the thug still after him?

He's doing really well Betty -

Wallet Inspector - where is the layout plan of the seating arrangements to the Vauxhall People Carrier that night ?

[Flash Jab]

Was watching it on Setanta downstairs, my mother asleep on the floor.

I got really fucking paranoid and started saying it was fixed afterwards. I was smashed.

[WalletInspector]

Sorry Flint, bit slow...

W549 OPS


Enzo Maccarinelli
Enzo Calzaghe
(front passenger seat) (front driver seat)


Joe Calzaghe
Emma Jo Larvin
Training Bag
(back left) (middle back) (back right)

(empty)
(empty)

W549 OPS

[Jack Dempsey]

In the O2 right next to some vocal Welsh fans

[White Tiger]

Originally Posted by WalletInspector

Sorry Flint, bit slow...

W549 OPS


Enzo Maccarinelli
Enzo Calzaghe
(front passenger seat) (front driver seat)


Joe Calzaghe
Emma Jo Larvin
Training Bag
(back left) (middle back) (back right)

(empty)
(empty)

W549 OPS

[aka TORA]

in my living room getting stoned with mates, as soon as i saw enzo come running to the ring i knew he was done

[GazOC]

Originally Posted by Jack Dempsey

In the O2 right next to some vocal Welsh fans

IIRC the Welsh rugby team was playing at 2am so I guess a few (most??) of those lads would have been on the piss for most of the day.