In the post fight interview, anyway. Although he failed to explain what was wrong with his left hand. Belt was explained to us how fighting negatively was heroic and how there is incredible skill in sidestepping a fighter with the turning circle of a large bus. The media savvy Booth managed to add further gloss to his performance, saying Haye had perfectly executed the strategy, covering up the fact haye managed to genuinely lose several rounds to Valuev. Nobody even noticed how Valuev almost looked like a skilled boxer at times! This guy can never fight the Klits, even his own people must realise that now Valuev has exposed him by easily cornering him at several points in the fight.
If he can reach and wobble a 7' iron chinned behemoth it may not be so difficult to bang out a glass chinned and vulnerable 6'6 guy? A 6'8 iron chinned guy will be a harder proposition though :deal
I thought it was an excellent mature performance by haye, he knew he could never stand toe to toe with val so used his speed, granted it wasnt the normal flashy haye gung ho performance, but id rather he was more precautious and won!!! WELL DONE DAVID HAYE!
Great plan and well carried out, but aside from stunning Valuev in the 12th, didn't exactly bring the excitement he had promised.
it was almost impossible for that fight for haye to make it exciting and come out with the win so he did what he had to do and thats good enough in my book!
That's true, but he did stun him in the 12th and if he had exchanged earlier, i think he could of had him out of there.
Look, Haye is now well on his way to being one of the very best the UK has produced in the past quarter century. You won't like this, but he's not far off Calzaghe in terms of achievements. Few of our guys have dominated their division - conclusively number one - I think only Lewis, Honeyghan, Hamed, Calzaghe and Haye (at cruiserweight) since the mid-80s. Hatton had PBF in the division (briefly) at the same time, and didn't really take on the very best in his division at the time after Tszyu, bar Malignaggi (plenty of good opponents, don't get me wrong). Haye is arguably only behind Lewis, Hamed and Calzaghe (very much in that order) now. China Hand, we know how much you admire and rate Calzaghe. I can see why, but it strikes me that you don't like any other British boxer to be considered in the same class. Haye is, simple as.
This part is absolute bollox. One of the big concern with Haye has been his occasionally amateurish footwork. In this fight it was extraordinarily improved - he was never successfully cornered, he always spun out brilliantly. Yes, Valuev ain't that great and does have the turning circle of a distant planet around the sun, but no-one - not even Chagaev - has spun out of range that brilliantly. This is where I have to question if you even saw the fight.