What can Tony do to win?

[Stuarty]

Most of us are all of the same opinion. But whenever I watch a fight with an underdog and I want that guy to win I do my best to convince myself.... What can Tony do here? It's only one man against another after all! He won't win but there must be a way! Any one fancy having a crack?

[jameswilson]

Get somebody to go to the bookies and bet against him.

[Stuarty]

I thought just run at him and go for broke. He's done that in a fight before though. And Haye mentioned that in passing the other day! No go then! Haye is smarter. Moves better. Faster. More powerful. Better jab (when he uses it). Better experience. Better confidence. Just better all round!

But.... There must be a way.... Surely?

[davie]

I'm struggling here to find a strategy.
In a fight you often have advantages and disadvantages, picking the right strategy is about working to your own strengths (or the opponents weaknesses).
I don't see what Bellew does better.

Also Haye's a hard puzzle to solve, in that he is a fighter who's strength lies in his offensive threat but he doesn't take a lot of risks. He bides his time, not giving you a lot to work with then bang, lands heavy

I think Bellews best chance is to time him coming in but I don't have any confidence that Bellew has the skills or timing to do that.
In fact I think he's likely to go into his shell if the bombs start dropping.

His only other chance is to play it safe himself and hope Haye tires. There's 2 risks to that strategy.
1. Haye might last the rounds just fine
2. If Bellew tries to survive, Haye might come after him hard and again I only see the KO if that happens

[Stuarty]

I'm struggling here to find a strategy.
In a fight you often have advantages and disadvantages, picking the right strategy is about working to your own strengths (or the opponents weaknesses).
I don't see what Bellew does better.

Also Haye's a hard puzzle to solve, in that he is a fighter who's strength lies in his offensive threat but he doesn't take a lot of risks. He bides his time, not giving you a lot to work with then bang, lands heavy

I think Bellews best chance is to time him coming in but I don't have any confidence that Bellew has the skills or timing to do that.
In fact I think he's likely to go into his shell if the bombs start dropping.

His only other chance is to play it safe himself and hope Haye tires. There's 2 risks to that strategy.
1. Haye might last the rounds just fine
2. If Bellew tries to survive, Haye might come after him hard and again I only see the KO if that happens

It's hard going isn't it? You're one of the more knowledgable guys on here as well! What do you think Coldwell is working on in the gym? Stay out the way and then attack later on? I honestly don't have a clue!

[Benelio]

Maybe he should just go for it. He might strike it lucky, and if not, at least he will be able to hold his head high, even if he gets done in a round. There's also less physical damage than he would endure over a full fight. The whole 'evade and hope it goes late' can unfortunately make you look like a coward or clueless if the other guy gets to you early (e.g. as what happened with Stevenson).

[Cas]

Get past round 7 and get to work.

Haye has fought a total of 3 whopping rounds in 4 years. Haye doesn't have the stamina and his punch output will fade later on.

It it gets to the mid rounds the fight may get interesting, especially for Haye. Who knows how hard Haye trained for this fight. He's expecting to end the bout early.

[coneye]

Keep the defence tight ,, and i mean VERY TIGHT ,, make haye work , , and work and work and plan on Haye tiring early , the fights he has had in the last 5 years were not even worth mentioning , he would of had a better work out having a wank , so make him work and hope that the night clubs have took there toll ..

Other than that take one on the chin , collect the big pay packet , drop down in weight , and call Haye a coward for wanting to fight a smaller man ,, Challenge him to a rematch at cruiseweight , and go on tele calling him a shit house cos he refuses. Tell the world how much of a hero you are for fighting a bigger man .

[KiwiRider]

Get past round 7 and get to work.

Haye has fought a total of 3 whopping rounds in 4 years. Haye doesn't have the stamina and his punch output will fade later on.

It it gets to the mid rounds the fight may get interesting, especially for Haye. Who knows how hard Haye trained for this fight. He's expecting to end the bout early.

it's a tough one, but I think your right. If Haye had gone to Big Bear instead of sea level Florida to train, then I would still be scratching my head trying to answer the initial question of this post

[Nightmare Roy]

As the great Paul Daniels used to say.

Not a lot.

[Evander]

Stay in the fight and hustle is the best chance.

[johnswan1]

Get somebody to go to the bookies and bet against him.

This.

[Syntax Error]

Most of us are all of the same opinion. But whenever I watch a fight with an underdog and I want that guy to win I do my best to convince myself.... What can Tony do here? It's only one man against another after all! He won't win but there must be a way! Any one fancy having a crack?

Well, he can hope that Haye does his usual of pulling out at the last minute, then getting a substitute opponent & beating him.

[SteveDow]

I give Bellew virtually no chance but his only possible way in my view is to go for broke and try to catch Haye cold early in the fight. This will almost certainly lead to him getting knocked out himself but at least if he did manage to land a hail mary of a shot there is the slight chance that Haye may not be able to take it.

Haye is way too hard a puncher to adopt the strategy of running and tucking up. Even if Haye isn't landing clean his shots will still be hurting Bellew and there will only be so many of them he can take. This isn't like a Roy Jones/John Ruiz situation where despite being smaller Bellew is the much better boxer and is defensively brilliant. Haye is better than him in basically all aspects of the game so I can't see how trying to evade him for round after round is going to do anything.

[jamesmcdonnell]

I think the only chance he has is to make Haye work, if he goes for Haye, he will get flattened. He needs to try and force Haye to chase him around, and tire him out, and hope he can do this long enough to question Haye's stamina.

I'd give him no more than a 5% chance of winning this. Everything is stacked against him except for age. Weight, power, skills, experience at top level.

[sweetscience]

off topic slightly

serious question...... what can he do to see past round 3 ?

[SteveDow]

off topic slightly

serious question...... what can he do to see past round 3 ?

Very valid question. It's so difficult to see him being able to take a flush shot from Haye and Haye is very dangerous early on in fights so the answer is probably nothing. Haye won't be wasting any time on Saturday. He'll want to utterly obliterate Bellew as quickly as possible. There won't be any carrying him this time.

[sweetscience]

I just cant see him avoiding punches for 3 rounds, he isn't that elusive

and if he takes the shots in the first 3 rounds, then surely he takes over ???

[Taansend]

He needs to follow Kirkland Laings blueprint from his fight against Sylvester Mittee.

And I mean EXACTLY to the letter.

It's the only way he can win.

[SteveDow]

He needs to follow Kirkland Laings blueprint from his fight against Sylvester Mittee.

And I mean EXACTLY to the letter.

It's the only way he can win.

Would you mind summarising what that blueprint is?

[jamesmcdonnell]

He needs to follow Kirkland Laings blueprint from his fight against Sylvester Mittee.

And I mean EXACTLY to the letter.

It's the only way he can win.

Problem is, he's not got the skills laing had, he's a plodder in terms of footwork Bellew, and isn't very flexible.

[Crazyboy]

The old Ali v Foreman technique....maybe?

Realistically though, I just can't see past anything other than a Haye KO and in the early rounds at that...

[chinarich]

The old Ali v Foreman technique....maybe?

Realistically though, I just can't see past anything other than a Haye KO and in the early rounds at that...

Rope-a-dope? Bellew will be more like a dope on the ropes...

[Crazyboy]

The old Ali v Foreman technique....maybe?

Realistically though, I just can't see past anything other than a Haye KO and in the early rounds at that...

Rope-a-dope? Bellew will be more like a dope on the ropes...

Just getting Bellow's plan together for him mate ;)

Haye within 3 is the bet I'm going for

[jamesmcdonnell]

The old Ali v Foreman technique....maybe?

Realistically though, I just can't see past anything other than a Haye KO and in the early rounds at that...

What sitting on the ropes getting your guts caved in. Suicidal, it would be over inside a round.

Ali was one of the toughest men mentally and physically to ever step in the ring.