Russ Anber:Haye left humiliated, dominated and exposed!

lzolnier · Jul 5, 2011

Excellent article by boxing analyst and trainer Russ Anber:

It's only talk!

Time and time again, I have repeated those very same words to fighters at all levels that, in one way or another, were the target of an opponent's trash talking. Amateur or pro, in person or in print, it didn't matter. The end response was always the same. It's only talk!

Where's all the talk now David?

I have been lucky enough to make my living in the fight game for over 30 years now, and during my time I have seen the supposed mind games, and verbal assaults that fighters have levied against one another in an attempt to garner the upper hand.

I have been witness to Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran squaring off at their Montreal press conference, some 30 years ago. I watched Eddie Melo spread his reign of verbal terror on the Canadian landscape, and most recently I watched Jean Pascal and Bernard Hopkins engage in hate-filled verbal bantering. These are merely a few of the possibly thousands of press conferences, public trainings and weigh-ins which I witnessed, where one or both participants exchanged in a sometime cruel display of verbose idiocy. Did somebody mention Ricardo Mayorga?

The lead up to this weekend's World Heavyweight Championship fight (If you can call it a fight), between Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye ranked right up there in the annals of boxing history as perhaps the most hurtful, disgusting displays of a verbal attack that I have ever seen. To make matters even worse, and this is what really magnifies the ignorance in which it was delivered, the culprit, David Haye, didn't back up one single word of what he said. As a matter of fact, this might be, and I will put it out there for you fight fans, the fight in which the loudest bark had the least bite of all. In my memory, I cannot remember a fighter, especially one involved in a championship match, who said so many hurtful, insulting and degrading things, who promised to do so much, yet who delivered so very little.

Where's all the talk now David?

Now before you start preaching to me about this all being done to sell tickets, this isn't my first taste of professional boxing. I know, better than most, the importance of 'selling' a fight. I know the importance of making headlines. I know the importance of putting yourself in a public opinion position where you force your way into a championship fight. As a trainer and manager, I too have played my part in this as well. While I am somewhat more conservative about my approach, I understand the need for it. While I despise what Ricardo Mayorga does, I love the class always exhibited by Manny Pacquiao.

While everyone is surely different, I have no problem whatsoever in someone tooting his own horn. As a matter of fact, done correctly it can be exciting and refreshing to see someone exude such confidence. For those who enjoy, and who are comfortable doing it, I salute you. Self-praise, in my opinion, is fair game in the world of verbal sparring in professional boxing.

However, personal insults, disgusting, profanity-laced personal attacks, as well as depicting violence against family members, crosses the line, big time!

Before I go on, please, please don't even begin to compare, or bring up Muhammad Ali and his antics in your defence of David Haye. If you are unable to discern the difference between arguably the greatest heavyweight of all time and a 'wannabe' like David Haye, you have no legitimate grounds on which to be forming an opinion.

Where's all the talk now David?

In short, the classless Haye, talked himself into a multi-million dollar fight by attacking someone who, in fact, ultimately gave Haye the possibility to make the millions upon millions of dollars. Let's face it, how much would Haye have made if John Ruiz was still champion? Klitshcko's dominance and star power, especially in Europe, afforded Haye the possibility of cashing in. For that, Haye trashed Klitschko like a two-bit bum.

I am not a huge fan of the Klitschko style of boxing. I've never enjoyed the Eastern European style, even going back to my days as a trainer on Canada's National Team in which I was fortunate enough to have toured Europe and part of the Soviet Bloc. I am certainly not saying you have to be a fan either.

I do however respect my sport to the highest degree and I respect even more so the fighters who have attained the highest degree in the sport. Wladimir and brother Vitali have dominated the heavyweight division since Lennox Lewis said goodbye a decade ago. As a member of the boxing fraternity or as a fan, the least you could do is respect the achievements made by both, and those achievements are monumental. Haye pretended to be disrespectful, when in fact he was over respectful and genuinely fearful of following up on his predictions and promises.

Where's all the talk now David?

During my years in the game, I have talked to literally thousands of fighters. I have spoken to them before and after fights. I have often heard fighters say one thing before and then say another after. I've heard fighters tell me:

"His left was better than I thought",

"I couldn't see the right hand",

"His footwork was too good", etc.

However, I have NEVER had a fighter tell me,

"Wow all that pre-fight talk got to me, I lost because my opponent beat me with his words",

"I couldn't get my face out of the way of his left hook because I was thinking about what he said to me at the press conference",

"The guy talked to me so much I forgot how to fight".

At the end of the day, he who fights best wins, he who handles the pressure best wins, he who trains hardest wins. He who talks best, only talks best!

It's only talk!

Sadly what Haye didn't know, or refused to listen to, was that the fans never remember how you entered the ring, they only remember how you left the ring. Haye left humiliated, dominated and exposed!

And he deserved every bit of it!
Click to expand...

Bubby · Jul 5, 2011

I can only disagree with one thing he said. Lewis didn't say goodbye to boxing, he was ran out by Vitali......

DOM5153 · Jul 5, 2011

Fat Lewis TKO6 Prime Vitali

vengeex · Jul 5, 2011

- humiliated by the loss coz he's not doing enough
- dominated by Wlad
- exposed for being a big mouth (all talk)

iceman71 · Jul 5, 2011

lewis was done, bored and had a very long career.....evident by the shape he was in that his interest was gone, he had never been out of shape b4

slip&counter · Jul 5, 2011

A tad melodramatic.

Tuffnutz · Jul 5, 2011

slip&counter said: ↑

A tad melodramatic.
Click to expand...

This

bballchump11 · Jul 5, 2011

How was he exposed? He was never really considered that skilled, just a small heavyweight with very good athleticism. It's not like any other fighter can use that as a blueprint to beat Haye other than Vitali

DOM5153 · Jul 5, 2011

Haye is so humiliated that he's already moved on and is actively seeking a rematch. Cant believe the amount of people who took Haye's pre fight stunts seriously, christ it was done to sell the fight, Klitschko got his highest purse, they shook hands after the match. Haye has absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.

HAYEDAJOKE · Jul 5, 2011

Great read from a fellow canadian boy

Caliboxing · Jul 5, 2011

This guy is a decent trainer but he took Haye's antics personally and is gloating over the defeat. atsch Also Haye was not dominated, and sometimes pre-fight antics do affect the outcome of the fight, however slight it may be. Ali wouldn't have never used those tactics it they didn't work. With all this said, I didn't agree with all of Haye's tactics, and was disappointed by his performance.

bRoNeR**a**G · Jul 5, 2011

Wow, he really hated that ****, Russ always gets a bit over animated about this kinda ****, but yeah Haye's the chump at the end of the day.

misticmonk · Jul 5, 2011

In the balance of things Wlad gained David lost and one mans standing has gone higher. David has been respectful since the fight and did give a technical performance. Nothing wrong with either man something learned time to move on.

sonny73 · Jul 5, 2011

Thats abit harsh,sounds like this guy has a personal grudge against Haye for some reason.Anyone who had seen a Haye build up before would have known he always treats his opponents disrespectfully,plus the fact he was hyping the fight.As for being exposed and humiliated I dont think so,not unless he counts Pascal has having been exposed in a similar way agaisnt Froch,cos the scores were pretty damn similar.

Bazooka · Jul 5, 2011

Bubby said: ↑

I can only disagree with one thing he said. Lewis didn't say goodbye to boxing, he was ran out by Vitali......
Click to expand...

I can only say one thing Lewis TKO 6:good

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Russ Anber:Haye left humiliated, dominated and exposed!

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