How did Haye look before injury

Had it 2-2 after 4

 

It was a fairly even fight until Haye started getting the worst of the exchanges.

 

He looked like some bum that couldn't set up a punch to save his life (boxing career). I know he's better than that usually but was thinking he could just take Bellew out with anything. He approached the fight wrong and has slowed down a lot too with the inactivity and what not.

 

I thought he looked poor, he looked too big and way slower than he used to be. His timing was off (this could just be due to not being in a real fight for 3 years) but having said that I did have him winning, bellew hardly thew anything up until this point and round by round i felt haye was beginning to time him that little bit more. It was clear tony didnt want to ever let his hands go so haye couldnt counter him, i'd assume after round 6 he'd start throwing... haye then got injured and it became very easy for tony

 

He looked awful in my opinion. Wreckless, wild, no plan no accuracy. He started to settle down and I just thought he was finding his range. Then his shyte broke and he got busted up. He tried to get through as best he could and forgive the pun but seemed to start finding his feet again. But Bellew pushed through and forced the stoppage.

 

He looked really stiff, loaded up on almost all his punches. His jab lack any kind of authority or power. There was none of that old, relaxed Haye in there.

Surgery and weight gain weren't a good combo, seemingly.

 

Fat and nowhere near as good as he once was. Maybe it's because he felt Bellew sucked, but he looked extra average.

 

Fat would not be a right word.

 

He looked pretty average.

He was swinging wildly and missing at times, it was clear that Bellew was alert and able to avoid most his attacks, and when he was caught had the chin to absorb his best shots.

He looked too heavy for sure for his height. He looked like a 36 year old who has seen better days and was desperate to win it early.

 

Haye looked like he'd been training with Wilder; sloppy footwork, almost non-existent balance, throwing wild looping punches that often hit nothing.

 

Before the injury Haye looked awful, like he hadnt trained in any sparring or pad work for over a year. He was swinging like Deonaty Wilder. Atleast by the 3rd he was realising he needed to calm down a bit and do a bit of Boxing but he did land a few on Belllew and Bellew was still there. He isnt known to be hard to hit but Haye was lunging in like he was facing Wlad again or Valuev. He had the reach on Bellew and wasnt any shorter but looked like he was struggling to get into range.

Honestly i tihnk Haye made Bellew look better than he is. Even now it has happened my head is telling me Bellew should not be in with the top heavyweights so that to me shows that David Haye is no longer a top heavyweight no matter how much he wants to be one.

 

I think by the 4th/5th Haye was starting to look settled and was timing Bellew better and better and for me it seemed like a matter of when not if Haye would get Bellew out of there.

I'm with Haye though, despite the injury Bellew did win fair and square. Would Bellew have won without Haye getting the injury...I doubt it. But that's boxing anything can happen (the injury). On the flip side I thought (from memory) by round 7 Bellew was looking like his tank was emptied. I'd happily watch a rematch but I think Haye is done at the top level.

 

I disagree with that assessment. I think Haye was having one final fling at getting the KO win in the 6th and this is why he injured himself, by over stretching himself. I dont think Haye was cruising to victory only to be hit with a freak injury, in fact most people had the fight even after 4 rounds (with the 5th going to Haye).

I think Bellew has his number in terms being able to eat his best shots and stay out of the way of most his attacks, and also land his own work.

A rematch would be 50-50 for me- because of Haye's physical denudation and Bellew's durability and ability to stick to the same game plan again. If Haye was able to completely over come any injury then I would favour Bellew to win a 12 round UD in a rematch.