11.11.07 – Photo ©Jane Warburton/MMG – David Haye has skyrocketed to the top of the cruiserweight division by knocking out Jean-Marc Mormeck in seven rounds tonight on a Don King Promotion at Palais des Sport Marcel Cerdan in Paris, France to forcefully annex the WBC and WBA world titles. The 27 year old Londoner started off fast, working behind a heavy jab to launch a bruising body attack but the champion closed the distance and shook Haye with a cracking combination at the end of the second..
Haye regained control in the third behind the jab but was down in the fourth when Mormeck connected with a bracing combination of hooks. Haye beat the count and managed to land a few power shots on the oncoming champion to prevent Mormeck from running roughshod.
The champion continued to dictate the action in the fifth, pounding Haye at times with a powerful inside attack that the challenger managed to survive by using good movement and a stiff jab.
Haye regained his composure in the sixth frame, making Mormeck miss repeatedly while countering with accurate jab, right hand salvos but in the seventh, the challenger finally managed to nail Mormeck flush with a startling uppercut, left hook, overhand right combination.
Mormeck went down hard and while he beat the referee’s count, the Frenchman was in no condition to continue and the Frank Maloney promoted David Haye was declared the new WBC and WBA champion.
On the undercard, French WBC Light Welter Youth Champion Ali Cheba, 23-0 (17), stopped Brazil’s Wellington DeJesus, 11-1 (7), in the third and former WBA Light Welter titlist Souleymane M’baye, 36-2-1 (21), stopped Ameth Diaz, 23-7 (17), in the fourth in a WBC title eliminator.
The stoppages continued as European Union titlist Christophe Canclaux, 35-2 (21), finished ex-IBO boss Steve Conway, 34-9 (7), in three and cruiser Francisco Palacios, 13-0 (7), saw off Andrey Zaitsev, 4-8 (3), in four.
Light welter Olivier Bonine, 8-1-1 (1), outpointed Nuno Cruz, 4-7 (1), over six rounds.