Ringside Boxing Report: David Haye vs. Jean Marc-Mormeck
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It was a noisy excited atmosphere tonight at the Palais des Sports Marcel-Cerdan, Levallois, France as French and British fans came together to witness the much-anticipated clash between WBC and WBA Champion Jean-Marc Mormeck of France and David “Hayemaker” Haye of England on a Don King Production.
Haye came to the ring a little late as his entrance music “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now” had finished by the time he made it to the ring alongside trainer Adam Booth and manager Frank Maloney. Maloney was wearing his “trademark” Union Jack Suit and was clearly enjoying the occasion as he threw “Hayemaker T-shirts” out to the crowds.
The Champion Mormeck received huge cheers as he made his way to the ring.
Straight away, Haye got down to it and dominated the first round with Mormeck being a little more cautious as he sussed out the challenger. The French fans were quiet for most of the first round as Haye got to work, but cheered loudly as Mormeck landed his one notable shot of the frame.
The bell seemed to be confusing as it rang to signal the 10 second warning during the intermission between rounds then rang again properly when the fighters came out from their corners to fight again, something the British corner of Haye had to get used to in the first couple of rounds.
Round two was better for Mormeck as the champion caught Haye a couple of times. In the third, the low mumbling sound of French fan anticipation was echoing as Mormeck backed Haye up to the corner and started landing, causing cheers to go up around the arena.
There were four or five right hand shots from Mormeck in succession and it seems that Haye falls for it every time, dropping his hands low and getting caught by the same punches.
The fourth was Mormeck’s round as a number of times Haye was backed into the corner and it seemed that the crowd could see what was coming each time. Under a barrage of shots, Haye falls back, almost forced down in the corner, and is counted by referee Guido Cavalleri. The crowd are in uproar now as Mormeck seems to have the upper hand this round and Haye looks to have been wobbled on a couple of occasions.
It’s a better round five for Haye but again, the challenger leaves the left hand dropped low and gets caught by Mormeck’s right and left. Haye has thrown some heavy body punches this round but gets a warning from the referee for hitting on the back of the head.
In the opening seconds of round six, Mormeck throws a low body punch, but it’s Haye’s round as he’s not letting the champion back him into the corner now.
Round seven and Haye picks away with some body shots, seemingly to wear Mormeck down, then throws a right uppercut, left hook, right hook and Mormeck is suddenly on the canvas half-kneeling before the referee signals the end of the fight as Mormeck is unable to carry on.
David Haye jumps up in the air and Frank Maloney dashes across the canvas in delight. Mormeck shows good sportsmanship in congratulating the Englishman.
Haye has ripped the WBC and WBA Cruiserweight titles from Jean Marc-Mormeck and climbs to 20-1 with 19 knockouts.
Mormeck has suffered his second loss in four bouts and drops to 33-4 (22).
Two notable fights on Saturday night’s undercard at the Palais Marcel Cerdan in Levallois, Paris, France was that of Souleymane M’Baye against Ahmed Diaz of Panama in a WBC Light Welter title eliminator, and British light middle Steve Conway, who faced European Union titlist Christophe Canclaux in a non-title fight.
Frenchman Souleymane ‘The Sensation’ M’Baye, a former recent WBA Light Welter Champion, entered the ring amidst pompom waving cheerleaders, and huge support from the crowd.
The very able Diaz, the reigning WBC Latino and WBA Fedelatin Lightweight titlist, started off the busier of the two fighters as they came out for round one. Popular M’Baye was a little cautious but seemed to settle down towards the end of the first and had a busier round two.
“Souley, Souley†the crowd chanted. It seemed a pretty even fight up to now, but M’Baye controlled the second half of the round. Both men seem a bit over-enthusiastic with their punches as they throw them after being told to break.
In the first half minute of round four, Diaz rubbed his left brow and the referee called time while, astonishingly, he signalled to the judges to take one point away from M’Baye for clash of heads.
Half a minute later and a big right hand from M’Baye, followed up with another right and left has Diaz stumbling backwards but remaining upright.
Backed up against the ropes, then again in the corner under more pressure from M’Baye, the referee separates the two men and, undecidedly, calls a halt to the fight while Diaz continues to complain.
There is a cut under the left brow of Diaz, but there was confusion as to why the fight was stopped.
Diaz continued to rub his brow after the fight ended and as he was leaving the ring, which seemed to amuse the crowd by this point!
M’Baye wins on a TKO round four and climbs to 36-2-1 (21) while Diaz falls to 23-7 (17).
British Man and ex-IBO Light Middle titlist ‘Super’ Steve Conway had a disappointing night when he faced Frenchman Christophe ‘Rocky’ Canclaux, the European Union Champ.
Canclaux was on the canvas in round one of the fight then Conway touched the canvas mid-way through the second round under pressure from his opponent but it seemed, from my position, that he was partly pushed down.
Conway, who had faced Alex Arthur for the British Super Feather title in 2002, complained that Canclaux had hit him back of head a couple of times during the first two rounds.
The surprise came in round three when Conway was knocked down on the canvas again and although he got up at the end of the count, Referee Jean-Francois Toupin waved the fight off, much to the disbelief of the crowd and Team Conway!
Even the French crowd were booing!
Canclaux won by TKO in round three and sees his record to 35-2 (21) while Conway has lost three in a row to fall to 34-9 (7).
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