To be quite honest, I don't really know what to make of this fight. Part of me wants to give Haye credit for going out and winning according to the "win now, look good next time mantra" and another part of me wants to criticize him for the way he won after he had promised fireworks for months. I think what it comes down to is the fact that the sheer size of Valuev dictates what opponents are able to do in the ring as opposed to what it is they say they are gonna do. Let's face it, it takes an unorthodox approach to beat a guy like Valuev. He's a 7'2'' 325 lb. man constantly stalking the opponent so the risk of being caught in the corner or on the ropes is always there. This requires constant movement and as a result, less engaging. You have to throw punches upwards to land on him (again not easy to do even with the large target). You can't knock him out either so you gotta have enough in the tank to go the route and still be effective. Once again, this leads to less action as the opponent must be economical with his punch output. Haye wobbled Valuev but the latter recovered and finished the fight with a clear head. I don't want to ramble on here so basically the point that I'm trying to make is that I'm inclined to give Haye the benefit of the doubt here based on the intangibles that accompany the size difference. There is too much of a discrepancy between what you want to do and what you actually can do in the ring against Nikolai Valuev and that is because of his size and the fact that, despite his faults (and yes, there are many), he can fight a little. Haye went out and did the job. That being said, and no disrespect to either fighter, I regret purchasing the fight as it was almost unwatchable up until the 12th round.
Agree. I was impressed that Haye was willing to go twelve rounds in a disciplined manner, but it was risky considering the fight was in Germany. I found it slightly entertaining only from the viewpoint that I have an interest in who wins and gets closer to a Klitschko fight. But for casuals it was boring as fcuk. I think we should give Haye a pass for this fight due to the circumstances. He can look good from here on out.
I think it would be abit harsh to criticise Haye for the manner in which he won. We all knew from the beginning that Haye wasn't going for the knockout (despite his claims). His best bet was to fight to his own strengths (speed and movement), and not engage in anything that would benefit his opponent. He executed his game plan pretty well, and fully deserve the victory. However, I personally am not too blown away by a win over Valuev. The big man struggled against a 46 year old Holyfield, that in itself suggests the level of quality in him. Haye outspeeding and outpointing him was of no surprise to me, and I think we won't truly know of his potential at this division until he faces off against a competitive heavyweight, who has the ability to take him to deep waters. Valuev was simply not that man. That being said, a Haye victory was good for boxing. This is sure to make him a bigger star, and bring more excitement to the heavyweight division
