BoxRec

punchers chance wrote:

Hagler2002 wrote:

Loftgroov wrote:Haye slipped. His centre of balance looked off.

He had slightly wobbly legs when he got up, but that was on account of being smacked while sat on the canvas, not the initial shot.

He went down from a punch.

Hagler - do you know what the bookies have ruled?
I know there were markets on whether Haye would hit the deck, and another on him winning after getting knocked down.

David Haye fever catching on as Britain hails heavyweight hope

Ron Lewis

Five rounds, six knockdowns; the heavyweight division had not seen anything like it in years. And while David Haye still has to make people believe that he can win the world heavyweight title, there will be plenty of converts to his cause after the way he disposed of Monte Barrett.

Heavyweights do not do excitement. Ever since Lennox Lewis adopted safety-first tactics, the search has been on for a big man who can guarantee to put bums on seats. The O2 Arena, in southeast London, was not full for his step up to heavyweight on Saturday night, but it will be next time.

This was exciting, as Haye had promised. The former WBC, WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion showed that he has heavyweight power and the guts to go toe-to-toe slugging it out, even climbing off the floor to win. But while such tactics worked against Barrett, such a reckless streak against the Klitschko brothers, the target in his search for world dominance, would be another matter. For all the flashy trimmings, Haye has always been someone who loves an old-fashioned punch-up.

It achieved its goal, which was to get Haye noticed. Six months ago, Wladimir Klitschko, the WBO, IBF and IBO champion, said that he had never heard of Haye. Shortly after midnight yesterday, Vitali, the WBC champion and the elder Klitschko brother, was purring at what he had seen.

Haye would be happy to face either and, eventually, wants to meet both. “David showed good skills, but I saw weaknesses,” Vitali, who was at ringside, said. “He was the best in cruiserweight, I was for a long time the best at heavyweight, let’s see who is the best. I’m surprised at his speed, I’m surprised at his power.”

A rematch with Lewis, who stopped him on cuts in 2003, remains Klitschko’s hope. A return for the 43-year-old former champion is unlikely, although Emanuel Steward, Lewis’s former trainer, raised that possibility last night. “I’d love to see them finish those last six rounds,” he said. “There’s unfinished business that needs to be put to rest.”

Haye looks a good alternative. Bernd Bönte, the Klitschkos’ manager, suggested that the bout against Haye could take place at a London football ground next summer. “We were at Stamford Bridge last season when Michael Ballack scored the winner \ against Manchester United,” he said. “The stadium would be an ideal setting for David to face Vitali or Wladimir.”

Against Barrett, 37, Haye was confident enough to take risks. Against the Ukrainian brothers, or Nikolay Valuev, the WBA champion from Russia, all of whom are substantially bigger, he would have to be more cautious.

“I need these fights to get me disciplined,” the 28-year-old Haye said. “In the cruiserweights I could do what I liked because the shots that came back I could take. Make a mistake as a heavyweight and you’re on the floor. It is all a learning process. Monte showed how tough he was. He hurt me and put me down, but I am willing to fight tough guys like this.”

Things had not started well for Barrett. He tried to vault the top rope as he entered the ring, tripped and landed upside down. It was the first of six times that he hit the canvas.

Haye boxed from distance in the first round, finding the American with his right well. But Barrett, who had boxed twice for versions of the world title, began to rough up the Londoner in the second, catching Haye with a left hook that stunned him.

Things continued that way in the third, until Barrett missed with a wild right and Haye countered with a right hook. Barrett kept coming, but was stunned, and a peach of a left hook caused the American to touch down. He was down again later in the round from a crunching right to the head.

Barrett was down twice in the fourth round too, although the first time he seemed to overbalance after missing. As the action got wild, Haye backed himself to land the better punches and did with a crushing right uppercut that forced Barrett to crumple to the floor. The American showed bravery to beat the count.

Barrett went some way to turning things around in the fifth. As Haye moved in for the finish, he walked into a left hook that put him on the floor, although the American followed up with a punch while Haye was on the canvas, which resulted in him being deducted a point by Richie Davies, the referee, and gave Haye time to recover. The end was just moments away, however, as Haye landed a left hook, right cross, left hook combination that left Barrett flat on his back.

“It was fun in there,” Haye said. “Once someone buzzes me that is when I plant my feet and start swinging away. Adam \ goes crazy at me but the crowd enjoy it. His jabs were the equivalent of a cruiserweight’s right hand. That is something I’ve got to get comfortable with.”

This was Haye’s second heavyweight bout — he stopped Tomasz Bonin inside a round last year. Remarkably, in 15min 3sec of heavyweight action, Haye has scored eight knockdowns.

Both Klitschkos have commitments to their titles before Haye can be accommodated. Wladimir faces Hasim Rahman, in Mannheim, Germany, on December 13 and must defend against Alexander Povetkin, the 2004 Olympic super-heavyweight champion. Vitali faces Juan Carlos Gomez, a Cuban, probably in March.

Unless Haye can push his way into that queue, that defers a world-title shot until next summer. In the meantime, he is likely to face a top-ten contender in late February or March. “From now on, it’s all about David versus Goliath,” Booth said.

Haye said: “I’m nowhere near the finished article, but I’m getting there. I will be the finished article in a couple of years and I will be unstoppable.”

Asterix wrote:I have the fight recorded and can watch it in slow motion. It was the inside of Barrett's right arm (inside elbow) that connected with the top of Haye's head and pulled him down.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:

Asterix wrote:I have the fight recorded and can watch it in slow motion. It was the inside of Barrett's right arm (inside elbow) that connected with the top of Haye's head and pulled him down.

So why did Haye say the shot hurt him then if he was pulled down?

Superheavyweight wrote:He’s supposedly fighting Samuel Peter in April, and then a title shot.

Spud wrote:

Superheavyweight wrote:He’s supposedly fighting Samuel Peter in April, and then a title shot.

Is he really??

adamheight wrote:

Spud wrote:

Superheavyweight wrote:He’s supposedly fighting Samuel Peter in April, and then a title shot.

Is he really??

wonder what would have happened if haye was making this charge on the HW division 12 yrs ago? when lennox, holyfield, tyson, moorer and bowe were the major players....

wonder what would have happened if haye was making this charge on the HW division 12 yrs ago? when lennox, holyfield, tyson, moorer and bowe were the major players....

Emerson Poncey Name Ghent wrote:Stamford Bridge for the Klitchsko fight? http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/boxing/7733290.stm

Ball-ache to drive to, though.

Spud wrote:

Emerson Poncey Name Ghent wrote:Stamford Bridge for the Klitchsko fight? http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/boxing/7733290.stm

Ball-ache to drive to, though.

Don't count your chickens mate - there will be a number of Arena's fighting for the rights to stage the fight - the result on Saturday has got a lot of people interested.