Really interesting and quite honest opinion on his 1st defeat Thompson defeat By David Haye (15th September 2004) I write this, my first statement, after my first professional defeat. I'm sitting on a sun lounger by a pool in the Canary Islands, writing this statement on my laptop. I've come here (Canary Islands) on my own for a few weeks to top up my tan, and reflect on recent events. I'm hoping to get some mental clarity, which is near impossible back home with a million and one so-called 'experts' trying to ram their opinions down my throat. It becomes frustrating when all I want to do is be alone and relax. First off, I would like to thank all my loyal friends and fans who have stuck by me and shown me great support after things didn't go the way we were all expecting. It's a real eye-opener when things go pear-shaped. It's interesting to see who's really on your side and who's just there for the ride. As for the 'event' in question, I guess what everyone wants to hear is some kind of reason or excuse from me. Well, the bottom line is, the better man on the night won. The better man is not the one who has the superior armoury (speed, power, athleticism, punch variety, etc.) but the man who mentally prepares properly and has the discipline to hold it all together in the furnace that is the boxing ring. Carl Thompson knew - he even told me beforehand, that he was willing to get beat up early doors. So when he did (get beat up early on), it was what he was expecting. There was no need for alarm. In his mind, all he had to do was ride the initial onslaught and he would then be in with a good shout at turning the tables. How right he was! Mental preparation and discipline are aspects of my boxing and general life that I've always struggled with. I found out at a very early age that I was always stronger, faster, and all round more physically superior to anyone I met. But there's so much more to boxing and life in general. To be honest, the only fights where I've really been mentally prepared for was my English title win against Tony Dowling and my first real step-up against Arthur Williams. I think that fact showed in both performances. Being prepared mentally to hold it all together when the chips are down is what I thought I had under control going into the Thompson fight. My fight against Arthur Williams was a total contrast to this (the Thompson) fight, though. In the fight with 'King' Arthur I had the mental discipline to follow, to the letter, a carefully constructed strategy. That was simply the reason it went so smoothly. I was not rushing my work and had the patience to wait for opportunities, instead of trying to constantly force them. I prepared for the best Carl Thomson to turn up. What I wasn't prepared for, or was expecting, was the worst David Haye turning up! Mental preparation is something that can't be measured. It's something that's developed through experience. Bernard Hopkins learned mental preparation whilst locked up in prison. Who would have thought Danny Williams would be able to take 'Iron' Mike Tyson's best punches (remember, Tyson is one of the biggest punchers in history) after watching Williams get destroyed by a non-puncher like Sinan Samil Sam? The reason Danny was able to is because he was mentally prepared to get hammered early doors. It was no surprise that Tyson would start fast - he has done so his whole career. Williams knew if he could get through the initial ****-storm he would come out lemon fresh on the other side. And he wasn't wrong! If you take a close look at my boxing career, you will see the people who have had me in the most trouble (from one big shot) have been, on paper, non-punchers. Jim Twite and Lolenga Mock - both of whom I had no respect for their punch-power - coincidentally both had me in a world of trouble. You could look at this in two ways. Firstly, you could say I have a glass chin. If a man with no real knockout record had me in trouble. Or on the other hand, you could say I wasn't mentally prepared to take the kind of physical abuse that I should have been ready for. I remember getting in the ring with these two guys and feeling nothing whatsoever. I can honestly say I'm more prepared to get nailed by an uppercut from this laptop than I was getting hit and hurt with a shot from either of those two guys! This may sound crazy for a boxer to go into a fight and not be prepared to get hurt; but it happens. It is a mixture of over confidence, underestimation, arrogance, ignorance and plain stupidity. All those factors can play a major part in it. People have told me over the years that boxing is 80% mental and 20% physical. By simply looking at the examples I have set out, you could have a half decent argument for that. If you're not mentally prepared to have the discipline to stick to the game plan you have trained for, then you're not physically prepared either. I've always thought if your car is faster then the next man's, you can beat him in a race. Unfortunately, I didn't realise the importance of the driver behind the wheel. How he controls the speed and direction of the car is vital to the car's performance. If you have enough fuel to get to your destination travelling at, say 30 mph, and the next man's car only goes 25 mph, me driving my car at 70 mph around roundabouts unnecessarily, isn't the smartest and most efficient way to go about the journey. But, on the other hand, I had plenty of time to have a bigger fuel tank fitted. In the end, though, I chose not to - for the simple reason that I couldn't be bothered. I thought I had the discipline to drive at the tried and tested winning speed that I had been practicing for. It's like spending five-years teaching a competition show dog an elaborate, never before seen trick. Then, when the real competition finally starts - with all the TV, judges, critics and a hyped-up crowd ready to see this once in a life time, life-changing manoeuvre by the dog - the dog walks out into the middle of the stage, has a look around, sits down and starts violently licking out his own arsehole! I may have stumbled at the first hurdle but I'm still on my feet. This was the first time my car has lost a race, and fortunately there was no physical damage to it. When I was a kid, my father was always saying: "those who don't listen, must feel." He normally said it just after I had hurt myself doing something he had warned me not to do. Stuff like not looking before crossing the road! Well, I've been ‚feeling‚ my whole life. I always learn from my own mistakes. But in boxing, when you feel, it is really painful. I rarely make the same mistake twice. The question is: does this defeat expose my shortcomings and limitations as a fighter, or does it give me an insight into what it takes to go all the way? Just as many questions as answers were raised in the Thompson fight.
