The State of British Boxing: A Positive Look Part II.

Here we are again, and as promised, I’m going to be sharing with you my thoughts on two superlatively gifted British talents: David Haye and Junior Witter. As you may have gathered from last weeks introduction to Don’s weekly, my principal objective is not to waffle on despairingly

about all the things that are wrong with British boxing; honestly, I’m sick and tired of the constant derision our fighters are subjected to, it is neither fair nor productive. Therefore, instead of spouting negatives and generally depressing everyone – including myself – in the process, I’d much rather go against the grain and to speak by focusing my attention and bringing to light the good that I see. That is my vow, and I sincerely hope that in time the cynics out there (you know who you are) can develop an equally positive outlook, because at the end of the day, things aren’t that bad on the British front. Keep reading, and you’ll know why.

David Haye: What a talent! An amateur world silver medalist, it has been anything but smooth sailing for the Bermondsey bomber, who debuted as a professional roughly two-and-a-half years ago. Haye’s turbulent career in the paid ranks thus far can be perfectly summarized in three words: brief but explosive. He is rightly considered to be one of the countries top prospects and his eagerly anticipated arrival has undeniably supplied British boxing with a much-needed burst of excitement.

At the risk of sounding cliched, a word that can never be associated with a fighter like David Haye is boring; he knows what the fans yearn for – excitement – and sets out to give it to them every time he steps into the ring. In a relatively short space of time, the young fighter has experienced a plentitude of highs and lows, he has taken us on a rollercoaster of emotions, a ride that I have so far enjoyed immensely and one that I have a feeling will ascend to great heights in the coming years.

In his lone setback, Haye was probably guilty of trying to give too much to the crowd, an inclination that has been noticeable in the majority of his fourteen professional bouts to date. I am sure he would be the first to concede that the unyielding confidence he clearly has in his own ability has on occasion strayed over to a mild arrogance, as the line between the two (self confidence and arrogance) is a wafer thin one and, in any walk of life, can be easily crossed.

The guy is indeed a super talent, but part of the problem is that he knows it! Against Carl “The Cat” Thompson, an experienced and seasoned campaigner at a world-class level, the contemptuousness and impatience he displayed in the (admittedly brilliant) opening stanza painstakingly belied his immaturity as a fighter. With just ten fights under his belt, I remember being slightly surprised when I heard that Haye had signed to fight Thompson, a veteran of nearly forty contests, for his IBO cruiserweight title. I felt he was biting off too much too soon. I was right. After swinging for the fences with approximately 120 punches in the first round, an exhausted and dejected Haye was eventually punched into a fifth round stoppage defeat. It was a disaster, though in the long run, one that I believe will in fact end up being advantageous for Haye. The forty- year old Thompson took the young buck to school and administered a valuable (if not painful) lesson. Losses are fine, as long as you learn from them and do not go on making the same mistakes; Haye has sworn he has and won’t – which is promising – but at the end of the day, only time will tell just how much was gained from the experience.

A few positives can be salvaged from the fight though. For starters, Haye literally battered Thompson around the ring unmercifully before running out of gas; his much-vaunted power looked very real in those frenetic opening minutes. Worries about his punch resistance were also dispelled somewhat, he showed decent durability despite being rendered almost helpless and rescued by the referee. Thompson, regarded as one of the harder punchers of the division, landed flush frequently with little effect for the most part; from my vantage point at least, it was fatigue that ultimately felled Haye.

But what impressed me the most was the heart he showed, on his worst night,
there was absolutely no quit in him. Had his corner not thrown in the towel when they did, my guess is that he would have hung in there for a few more rounds and taken a vicious/damaging beating. It is a good thing that his trainer, Adam Booth, obviously cares about him, because Haye’s bravery could feasibly have led to him getting seriously hurt – live to fight another day. He had nothing left and needed to be pulled out, Thompson had taken him into deep water and he was being drowned.

Now 13-1 (13 KO’s), Haye has impressively rebounded from his first defeat with quality wins over Garry Delaney and Glen Kelly. I must say that I find his attitude of only wanting to fight the best admirable and extremely refreshing, he has one or two chinks in his armor, (that can surely be fixed) but possesses the speed, power and ability to more than make up for them in my opinion. The sky is the limit for David Haye, I hope and predict he will go all the way.

Junior “The Hitter’ Witter: Will 2005 be his year? With a stirring points win over Lovemore N’dou in February, Witter has indubitably announced his arrival on the world scene. Once looked upon as an awkward switch-hitter with no punch, the Bradford based swaggerer has come a long way since his non-performance against the then IBF light welterweight champion, Zab Judah, almost five years ago.

Under the tutelage of Brendan Ingle, Witter is stylistically very similar to his former stable mate, the legendary Naseem Hamed. He is able to throw the same kind of unpredictable corkscrew shots – often delivered from impossible angles – which made Naz so unique in his prime. From the looks of it, Witter has been gifted with a duplicate combination of power, speed, and unorthodoxy, making him a very dangerous customer indeed. Over the past few years, it has been remarkable to see how much Witter has developed as a fighter and (even more excitingly) as a puncher.

It was a fascinating transformation, whereas earlier in his career he was labeled as a bit of a mover, he is now sitting down on his shots and unleashing them with devastating conviction. After losing to Judah (in a fight that he took on very short notice), Witter promptly reeled of fifteen straight knockout victories against top European opposition before meeting the tough as nails N’dou on the recent Bernard Hopkins-Howard Eastman under-card. On paper, it was perceived to be a 50/50 fight. Considered the gatekeeper of the division, N’dou had recently pushed top contenders Sharmba Mitchell and Miguel Cotto to the limit and it was predicted that he would provide Witter with a similarly arduous test.

Showcasing his skills to an American audience, Witter dropped the iron chinned N’dou twice and had him out on his feet in the tenth before settling for a clear-cut decision victory. It was a tough fight, but the result was never in doubt; he beat N’dou more convincingly than anyone has in a long time. His display not only leapfrogged him up the rankings but also caught the eye of the boxing world’s hottest new promoter, Oscar de la Hoya. Witter was immediately signed to the six-weight world champion’s Golden Boy Promotions company on a three fight co-promoting deal. Overall, I’d say it was a triumphant night in Los Angeles. Next up is a defense of his European title against Andreas Kotelnik, and after that, we shall have to wait and see. I know that he is going to be chasing the big fights, and right now, I’m not quite sure whomI would pick to beat him. The future looks very bright for Junior Witter, he is fantastically talented.

In next week’s edition, I will be directing my attention to IBF world light heavyweight champion Clinton Woods, please stay tuned and I hope you all had a very happy Easter.

Don Caputo can be reached at don_caputo@hotmail.com