Won the staredown? Enzo was bricking it after he saw the shape Haye was in. He, like Warren and Enzo C, though Haye was dead at the weight. It's the only reason the fight happened. When Haye came out bang on the weight and even drinking fluids... Macca must have realised the mistake they'd made. The fight was just a formality. A domestic-level operator against an elite-level banger. Enzo never had the mentality or skill to beat him.
Anyone remember Joe C at ringside just shaking his head in disgust and walking off as Enzo Mac got dropped for the last time?
What was shocking though - at the end of the fight............ When Enzo was saved by the referee - in front of horrified family and friends (emma Jo Larvin - Joe Calzaghes girlfriend had her hands clasped around her face in shock after she just witnessed Enzo get smashed) In order to save face - Enzo instead of porotesting to the ref Looked out to ringside with his arms out open as if to say "Joe - whats the ref doing ? he has stopped the fight - " But Joe had already walked away in disgust.:verysad
Easy to say that now. But Enzo had reigned as a World Champion for 5 years by then. Haye had only recently won the WBC & WBA titles.
Let's be honest, Enzo wasn't a world champion like Haye was. He picked up an interim version of the WBO belt then was basically given the full version for beating Mark Hobson, a domestic-level guy himself, who Enzo had already beaten. It was a farce that the title was on the line for that. His impressive win over Wayne Braithwaite was book-ended by Bobby Gunn and Mohammed Azzaoui, another pair of non-entities at cruiserweight. He'd been a titlist for something like 18 months when he faced Haye - not five years. The main reasons people had to pick Enzo were: Haye might be tight at the weight Haye is chinny Neither of which were based on anything Enzo did well or that Haye did badly. Retrospect had nothing to do with it. Being clear-eyed did. Haye had just come off the deck to knock-out an established champion who had a style to cause him fits. Enzo had knocked out a nobody in less than impressive fashion. You can try and rewrite history all you want, but Enzo was never anything special and was gifted a world title by Warren's clever matchmaking.
Anyone remeber Enzo talking to Bunce outside the Jumbo Hotdog stand down in Newbridge ? Enzo sounded confident about the fight - and told Bunce - he liked the fact that both he and Haye dont want to mess around with distance / points. That they both want to knock each other out clean. But - if it did go the distance - "you could possibly witness 12 of the most brutal rounds ever in a British ring" - Enzo warned.
Wrong - Enzo won the Vacant WBU World title in June 2003 - he held that until he got the WBO strap. Come March 2008 - nearly 5 years as a World Champ.
You being cleared eyed - when it comes to Haye. Be clear eyed about this then - Wlad is going to dominate Haye.
Nonsense. The WBU was not a recognised world title, except by Sports Network fighters of the time. Enzo was beating up domestic-level guys during that "reign". It was less meaningful than the British title or the Commonwealth. Fact.
Flint....you did say Audley was going to beat Haye as well despite the fact you knew deep down that was impossible. I think you have a wee bit of hate for our David...and it began in the run up the fight with Enzo and has intensified since
I know it was a **** world title. But he was still promoted as a World Champion during this time. A world title is a world title these days - no matter how **** it is. I agree - British & Commonwelath and Euro titles - mean more than some of these garbage world titles - which shows what a farce the sport is with all the titles.
I thought the Harrison fight was a joke fight to make - and slammed Haye for it. However - when the fight was going ahead regardless of how I felt - I got behind Audely. I didnt know he would be so terrible - I thought he would fight out of his skin - like Danny Williams did agaisnt Mike Tyson. But the guy - just stood back and let Haye swarm all over him like a harbour shark and eat him alive. It would have been better if Audely just let it all fly - even if he got knocked out in the 1st. Instead - he didnt he have a go. :-(