If Haye does this to Wlad?

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Lights out.

 

Part-time Sanders, Brewster, Peter etc., weren't Haye either and they landed enough times. Wlad has never faced an accurate, hard, fast puncher like Haye, who has technique to match. Yet he's been knocked out, so whilst Wlad isn't Harrison, it doesn't mean it's impossible.

 

Being serious for a second, the biggest flaw Wlad has, is he lacks a fighters heart, something he has even admitted himself. He is far too easy to rattle and if Haye came out fast and launched himself into Wlad, he has a serious chance of causing Wlad to lose all composure. Wlad is a great fighter, but only when he's in control mentally. If he isn't, he's a very flawed fighter. If Haye can manage to do something as simple as rattle Wlad in the opening round, get him panicking and make him ask questions of himself, Haye's chances will go up massively.

Haye said he would fight Wlad like Tyson and, after the fight, there may be genuine comparisons to Tyson/Spinks, if he does it successfully.

 

The flaws will cost him those fights are still there though. They are the same flaws which were exploited back then and can be exploited by Haye, so whilst he has got better, he's not unbeatable and it doesn't take a great fighter to exploit his weaknesses.

Wlad has got better since those three fights but it's also notable that Haye is a much better fighter than either of those opponents and presents even bigger problems.

 

Exactly. Wlad has a good defence on the outside - His jab. He lacks head movement, foot movement and backs up in straight lines, but it doesn't matter because he keeps a good enough range that he doesn't have to worry too much about defence.

On the inside, his defence is always to hold. I think it's very effective and I don't blame him for using it, but he has never - never - fought an opponent who can effectively fight on the inside. When he has tried to hold and his opponent has punched his way out, look at what has happened. I'm a big Wlad fan and I've seen most of his fights except a few early ones but the only person who has presented the problems on the inside that Haye would? Sanders.

I think Wlad will throw jab after jab but will be largely ineffective against a fast opponent and never throws the right against a moving opponent. If Haye keeps moving, he just has to avoid the jab and then rush to the inside, throwing leaping hooks to get there, and if he lands, Wlad will hold, unless he gets hurt. If he holds, Haye will punch his way out, ripping him to the body and wriggling out to throw head shots. Unlike these lethargic opponents Wlad is used to fighting, Haye won't be static when in the clinch and will punch his way out, just like Sanders did.

Haye by KO.