Blobbynator wrote:
I thoroughly enjoyed that last night. Good atmosphere at the MEN arena and to see four knock downs and 9 rounds was worth the money. He HAS to fight the Klitchkos now.
I doubt he CAN fight either now. Remember, Haye was forced to trade three fights under King/Sauerland (Kessler's promoter) for a shot at Valuev. Those guys will want their cut of the cake before he takes on a risky bout against either K. The smart money is on a re-match with Valuev as well as a fight with someone like Chagaev or maybe even Arreola before any unification bout.
Not what the fans want to see, but perhaps a blessing because - at this moment - Haye stands very little chance of beating either Klitschko. For all the big shots and knockdowns it's wise to remember:
1. Ruiz is not a top heavyweight (and his ranking reflects this). The guy had practically no defence other than to allow Haye's fist to break upon that rock he calls a head. Wladimir has an excellent defence (built around a brute of a jab) whereas Vitali has a bus for a chin.
2. Haye's defence is crap. Throughout that fight he was wide open to the counterpunch (someone needs to tell him to keep his phucking guard up) and was caught on three or four occasions. Fortunately his reflexes allowed him to slip the full force of those shots (not that Ruiz is a massive hitter anyway), but if he fights like that against either K (especially Wladimir) he'll get starched.
I mean, there were some good signs last night. Haye showed that he's retained his CW speed (which is they key to beating either K). He also showed genuine HW power and - best of all - he had the wit to throttle back when Ruiz got over his first round difficulties so that he didn't gas out in the later rounds (impressive, given that he's carrying an extra 20lbs).
What he needs to do now is: a) Develop his defence. Keep those hands high at all times and b) Develop his killer instinct. The latter is very important because on a couple of occasions when he had Ruiz in trouble he rushed in like a fool, throwing wild bombs that were there to be countered and burning up vital energy. Had that been either K he could easily have walked onto a bomb and that would have been the end of it. When the other guy is in trouble he must take a moment to compose himself and look only toward throwing targeted blows.
If he wises up I give him a 40/60 chance against either brother. For sure he has the speed and power to trouble them, but let's make no mistake here - the Ks haven't dominated the HW division for years through luck. They are both good technicians. Wlad is harder to hit but probably easier to KO. Vitali is the opposite. And both carry the equaliser.
Moving away from Haye - I was a bit disappointed with the undercard. George Groves was easily the highlight. I've been saying for two years this kid is the most talented prospect we've seen in Britain since Hamed. He has everything - a drill of a jab (which he doesn't use enough), hellish body punching, KO power in both fists, good counter-work (his short right is lethal), solid chin and a crowd-pleasing style. He put away a limited, but very durable opponent for a recognised belt in something like his eighth pro fight. That's some achievement.
Credit to Adam Booth for bumping his schedule. He could have easily done a Frank Warren and milked the kid against twenty tomato cans before giving him a shot at a belt. I wonder how long it will be before James DeGale (a Warren fighter who turned pro at the same time) gets a similar chance. I actually think DeGale is a lot better fighter than many give credit. He's filling out nicely at SMW (showing well in his last fight) and he now looks to be adding power to his prodigious boxing skills.
Felt a bit sorry for Colin Lynes. He's been a good pro for a number of years. Solid technician who just lacked that extra bit of power to make the difference.
Not sure WTF is happening with Jamie Moore. As usual he boxed like a moron against a guy who was always going to be a hard nut. The sad thing is Moore is A LOT better fighter than he appears. Unfortunately with him whenever the bell sounds tactics go out the window and he becomes obsessed with going toe-to-toe with fighters who he could easily beat if he boxed clever. I think his career is almost certainly over. Despite going up a weight he says he's still having problems losing the pounds. In the post-match interview he said he might go up another division. But if he's struggling to hurt a tough but modestly-gifted opponent at this weight he's no chance of hurting opponents another weight up.
