By Padre: Well, July 2 is around the corner. The fight that most thought would not occur, and barring any last minute issues, will happen. Let’s give both fighters credit for making this happen, no matter the negotiation tactics or requests, they pulled it of so kudos to both camps. To IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (55-3, 49 KO’s) for taking a non compulsory fight and for WBA heavyweight champion David Haye (25-1, 23 KO’s) for agreeing to go to Germany. Whether you are a Klitschko or Haye fan, one thing boxing fans are happy.
I once heard someone say, hate the game not the player. This fits David Haye to a tee. I personally find him amusing, though I could totally understand if anyone felt he was brash, loudmouth, Ali wannabe, name it. But don’t overlook this kid, he has the pedigree. Judge him using his potential, his boxing CV, talent and athleticism, not his actions or bravado. I honestly feel that he is Wladimir’s toughest opponent on many levels.
Many seem to forget that he didn’t just come onto the boxing scene. Those who have followed the British amateur boxing scene will tell you he has been around a long time. He is the former undisputed cruiserweight champion, a division which at one time was a spotlight one harboring tons of contenders and with viable belt holders. When the dust had settled, Haye had cleaned out the division in amazing fashion, that his only challenge would be to move up to heavyweight, something he had always wanted even before becoming undisputed cruiserweight champion. Many forget that the man he dethroned, Jean-Marc Mormeck was seen as potential heavyweight top contender if he had moved up. Very few know that he was actually struggling to make the cruiserweight limit in his last couple of fights. At 6’3 his body seems to have filled up as a heavyweight, with the advantage he doesn’t need to make weight and can concentrate on training other vital areas. I actually feel he is more dangerous as a heavyweight than a cruiserweight.
Against Klitschko, Haye has more of a chance than many would be willing to give him or see past his brashness to want to see this. Haye is a very cautious fighter, one who is not willing to just trade, but only goes on the offensive when he sees openings. He is also very patient and elusive, as well as a good boxer. To top this off he has KO power in both hands. This doesn’t stack up well for Wladimir when you compare these traits with his past opponents. In the loses that Wladimir suffered or fights that he had the most trouble, it was against boxers that had the above traits but none seem to have them all. Either they were good boxers, but lacked power or good power but were not elusive. With the exception of Chambers, Wlads last 6 fights were not really challenges.
I see the fight playing out to be a very cautious one in the beginning, with both fighters respecting each others power. Don’t believe the hype or what they say, they both have the utmost respect for each other as fighters. Wlad will need to make the fight, it won’t come from David. I see Wlad trying to establish his jab, which will be the KEY, with the straight right coming over the top while trying to cut off the ring and apply constant pressure. You don’t need to be boxing analyst to know, that will be his fight plan, because he has no other one. He has fought this way in all his 58 fights. If he is able to do this, then it will be very long and frustrating night for David.
But I don’t see this happening personally. I think that Wlad has more respect for Haye’s punching power than he is letting on. Will Wlad be willing to stalk Haye they way he did his previous opponents? I see Haye making use of his athleticism and using lots and lots of lateral movement. He has to make Wladimir move. Wlad doesn’t like to move, but wants a stationary target in front of him. By making Wladimir continually move and not allowing him to set and forcing him to reset and as such lure Wlad into angles. From these angles, Haye will fight in spurts trying to hurt Klitschko in these mini exchanges, with the intention of breaking his will. Whether one believes it or not, the lack of confidence factor which Wladimir has shown in the past when in trouble is still there. Things like that don’t just go away. You are who you are.
What I find interesting is that Wald is totally out of character for this fight. He is usually well mannered and doesn’t really get caught up in all the rhetoric. Not for this fight. I honestly think that Wladimir is not angry, but has reached a boiling point and may be out of his element. Could this be what David had wanted all along, knowing that a cool relaxed robotic assassin, which Wladimir is when in that zone, would be much harder to fight than a man who was not under control and enraged. I’m getting the feeling that Haye’s antics are a small part of the game plan.
It will be interesting to see what happens when Wlad gets hit. Have you seen footage of him (there is enough on the web) when he does get hit? He doesn’t quite know how to react. He is not sure whether to hold, block or back peddle. When he does back peddle he does this dangerously with both hands done leaning straight back. Take note on this: Wladimir doesn’t get hit. He self destructs when he does. Name a recent fight when he actually had to take good shots. In all, I repeat all his losing fights, Wladimir was forced to back peddle. He is unable to fight going backwards.
With a combined record of 80 Wins with 72 Kos, these boys can punch, so someone will get hit and funny as it sounds, I would put my money on Haye knowing how to react than Klitschko, why? Because in a fight with the Klitschkos, you know one thing for certain. You are going to get hit, so it’s one of the things that every opponent’s camp discusses. With Klitschko, I would take it that Emmanuel Steward will have this box ticked, but will Wladimir adhere to this if he has never had to in previous fights?
I’m in no way saying that Haye will walk over Klitschko, to the contrary. The odds as well as boxing experts have Klitschko favoured to win. This is boxing and styles make fights. I however pick Haye by KO in the middle rounds. Win, lose or draw, the fight fan wins in this one by unanimous decision. Enjoy the main event.