By Joseph Herron: Saturday June 2nd, Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye will face off in what is being labeled as the most significant heavyweight bout since Lennox Lewis fought Mike Tyson in June of 2002.
Both fighters have done an excellent job promoting the bout with a tension filled war of words, and as a result, the anticipation for this fight has become astronomical.
With 28 years of experience in boxing, veteran trainer James Gogue dissects the colossal match-up between the two titans and shares his unique insight to the fight with an expert trainer’s eye.
“This fight is very special,” states the veteran trainer. “What makes this bout so intriguing is that both fighters can end the fight at any time. Wladimir Klitschko has crushing one punch knock-out power with his straight right hand and left hook, and David Haye has that explosive “Hayemaker” which is quick and unpredictable.”
“Wladimir Klitschko has great size, strength, athleticism, and power, but surprisingly has very few weapons in his arsenal. If you carefully observe Wladimir Klitschko, the foundation of his entire boxing strategy is his underrated footwork,” explains James Gogue. “Moving in and out while keeping his distance frustrates his opponents and limits their attack.”
“His primary offensive weapon is his punishing jab which he uses 60 or 70% of the time. But what confuses his opponents is the fact that he also uses what is called a touch jab to keep his opponents at bay and to measure his distance to set up his straight right hand which has brutal one punch knock-out power.”
“If an opponent happens to work his way underneath his jab, Wladimir will also utilize his short, compact check left hook,” professes the expert trainer. “He can crack you as your coming in or lead with it if an opponent is moving laterally and picking off the straight jab. Klitschko likes to use feints, like he’s throwing the jab and lead with a short, crisp left hook. He can hurt any opponent if it lands flush.”
“Amazingly, those are the only three punches that he consistently uses. He doesn’t throw many uppercuts and he doesn’t like to go to the body at close range. When an opponent gets in close, Wladimir gets uncomfortable and likes to tie his man up on the inside.”
“Wladimir’s only defense is his footwork, which is very good for a large fighter. When an opponent throws a punch at him, he backs away and changes distance. He doesn’t move his head or upper body very much, and Klitschko doesn’t stand in the pocket and pick off punches very well. This will be a major factor in this fight.”
The veteran trainer feels that Klitschko’s inability to fight inside will be detrimental in his match-up with the WBA title holder.
“Wladimir Klitschko is facing a different breed of heavyweight in this fight,” insists James Gogue. “After carefully studying David Haye, I believe he is unlike any opponent Wladimir has ever seen. Haye is a heavyweight fighter with middleweight skills. You don’t usually see an athletically gifted and explosive fighter like David Haye in the heavyweight division. ”
“Most of Klitchko’s opponents have been plodders who can’t work their way inside and simply get chopped down gradually with the jab and straight right hand,” observes the veteran trainer. “Haye is very crafty and highly intelligent. David’s biggest asset in the ring is his unusual athletic ability. His footwork, hand speed, and reflexes are shockingly fast.”
“His ring vision is also extremely underrated,” explains James Gogue. “He sees punches very well and has good instincts in the ring, which makes him a very good defensive fighter. He understands distance tremendously well and has the ability to spontaneously lunge in from the outside and land his straight right hand effectively.”
The veteran trainer of 28 years expects Haye’s ability to attack from the outside the primary variable in creating many problems for Wladimir Klitschko throughout the fight.
“Haye’s unpredictability on offense and overall athleticism will give Wladimir Klitschko a lot of problems. When David throws punches, he doesn’t telegraph them. His punches are fast, explosive, and almost impossible to time effectively”
Gogue feels that Haye’s offensive gifts could be too much for the giant Ukrainian to handle.
“Haye has a multitude of weapons in his arsenal,” professes the experienced trainer. “He jabs well to the body and head, and he can also lead with the hook. When Haye gets inside of his opponent, he can throw sneaky uppercuts and attack the body effectively as well.”
After analyzing both men, James Gogue outlines the keys to victory for both fighters.
“What Wladimir Klitschko has to do to win this fight is dance with the partner who brought him,” states the expert trainer. “He must stay on his toes and keep his distance while sporadically pumping his jab. He absolutely must throw it at irregular intervals to keep Haye from timing it with the overhand right. Wladimir must mix his jab with the occasional left hook and remember to move in and out intermittently while setting up his piston-like right hand.”
“If Haye is neutralizing Wladimir’s jab with lateral movement, it’s imperative that Klitschko use feints and lead with his left hook to slow down David’s movement. If he can cut off the ring effectively while touching him with the jab and left hook, Klitschko can set up the right hand and score a knock-out.”
According to James, the most crucial element in this fight for a David Haye victory is a sound defensive fight plan.
“David Haye has to use his natural athleticism to win this fight,” claims James Gogue. “He must use head and upper body movement, while shifting laterally to stay out of Wladimir’s range. In order for Haye to win, he must not have any lapses in defense and get hit with any Klitschko bombs.”
“Also, Haye must take away Klitschko’s primary weapon. He has to neutralize Wlad’s jab by picking it off with his right hand and returning with his own double and triple jab counter. This will take Klitschko out of his rhythm and turn him into a defenseless fighter. He can also use rapid lateral movements to make Klitschko lunge in with his jab and get out of position to counter over it with his explosive overhand right as he is pulling it back.”
“Once Haye neutralizes the Klitschko jab, he can use his natural athleticism to take over the fight,” proclaims the veteran trainer. “He can catch Klitschko coming in with his straight right hands and work the body when he gets inside. If Klitschko tries to turn it into a physical fight, Haye must throw combinations to the body as Wladimir tries to tie him up. Make Klitschko prove that his abdomen has healed properly.”
After giving both fighters’ strategies careful consideration, expert trainer James Gogue has determined the outcome for this Saturday’s heavyweight championship fight.
“This fight will be determined within the first few rounds,” claims the experienced trainer.
“Unless Haye can take away Wladimir Klitschko’s jab by using effective counters and lateral movement, Wlad is going to win this fight easily,” states Gogue. “Klitschko’s success is dependent upon that polarizing jab. He uses it to set everything up effectively. Wladimir will pick Haye apart with his jab from the outside and knock him out in the mid to late rounds if Haye can’t neutralize that jab.”
“But, I actually see this fight playing out just like the Diego Corrales/Floyd Mayweather bout in 2001, with the bigger man being taken out of his game by the quicker, craftier, and more accurate punching fighter.
“I believe David Haye has the exceptional athleticism and ring intelligence to neutralize Wladimir’s jab and put the universally recognized champion on his seat,” claims the veteran instructor. “Haye has proven that he possesses the mental toughness and physical power to go on the road and win a championship. He will take away the Klitschko jab and catch Wlad coming inside with one his ‘Hayemakers’ in the tenth round.”
“I predict that we will see a new universally recognized heavyweight champion crowned on Saturday. David Haye will knock out Wladimir Klitschko in the tenth round.”