Circumstances surrounding Klitschko-Haye?

Older!? This happened in 2011! I'm only 27 and I remember this fight!

Heavyweight boxing was pretty dead at the time, Wlad's fights were unwatchable snoozefests that took place half a world away in Germany, Vitali was more interesting to watch but fought mainly tin cans in clear mismatches. The division felt so bereft of talent that we had to "borrow" an interesting fighter from cruiserweight just to inject some excitement.

Haye became a bit of a media darling in the UK, suddenly all of your friends who previously couldn't give a toss about boxing were experts in the runup to the fight. Haye had the most artifical and forced heel persona I think I've ever seen, pulling stunts like wearing a shirt with the Klitschkos' decapitated heads on it, and delivering the most laboured trash talk ever to the stone-faced Wlad, who looked like he could barely understand what Haye was saying.

I think everyone knew Wladimir was going to win easily, Emanuel Steward had crafted him into a masterpiece (ableit an incredibly boring one) of a fighter, and Haye's record at heavyweight consisted less of murderer's row and more like a murder victim's row of Valuev, Ruiz and Harrison. Nevertheless people were so desperate for the Clinchko era to end that a lot of people who should have known better deluded themselves into a Haye pick.

The fight ended up exactly as everyone expected, and everyone quickly went back to talking about Mayweather and Pacquiao once the decision was read out.

 

I was too young to remember Lennox v Tyson but I think this was the most hyped HW fight of my lifetime that actually happened.

Fury v Usyks hype got killed by the Ngannou fight but since Fury almost won we gloss over that and pretend people who weren't biased thought Fury had a chance. This was the opposite. Haye laid a whole ass egg in the ring so people don't want to admit they were excited about it.

 

All I remember is Ruben Tabares driving a van of health food over to Germany

 

I wasn't watching boxing then but It was highly anticipated. In party due to the fact it was 2-3 years in the making and due to Haye's antics and comments before the fight which brought a lot of entertainment and the fact it seemed Wlad genuinely wanted to teach Haye a lesson.

But it obviously ended up with a dominant display by Wlad.

 

Looking back there were only 8 months between the Harrison and Wlad fights but I remember Haye being retired for awhile. While he was only 30 people actually expected him to stay gone.

 

David Haye promised a lot but delivered very very little.

 

K promised Haye would be his 50th knockout. Cloud barely deliver a knock down. Threw a pitiful average of 12 punches per round. Stunk the joint out in his own backyard

 

Distant memories of the Sanders fight made it feel like Haye really had a chance.

Haye basically landed the shot he was waiting for in the 12th--the same one that wobbled Vlauev around the ring. Wlad just ate it.

Haye's toe excuse didn't go over well at all.

 

In the 12th round of the Wladimir Klitschko vs. David Haye fight, Haye landed a significant right hand that visibly shook Klitschko, causing him to hold on. However, Klitschko recovered and landed his own punches before the final bell

 

I watched the fight, bud.

 

Klitschko outclassed him but failed to excite. Haye was utterly useless.

 

You du du didn't watch the fight bruh is the most braindead retort ever.

K was holding on for dear life. Embarrassingly. I love destroying your fake reality

 

Both buzzed each other a handful of times. Wlad did a good job at keeping Haye on the back foot and surprising him with his speed.

Haye had to lunge in sometimes leaving him off balance.

 

I remember it being fairly even over the first half without much landing, but Haye having no second gear and just waiting for a shot over the second half.

Still a much better fight than the Povetkin fight.