Team Haye thought fight would be stopped

TEAM HAYE THOUGHT FIGHT WOULD BE STOPPED




By Ant Evans: While the quick KOs of former champions Arthur Williams and Alex Gurov probably look better in the black and white of David Haye's 18-1 (17KOs) professional record, for me the Hayemaker's best win undoubtedly came last Friday in London when he subdued and stopped game ultra-game Italian Giacobbe Fragomeni in nine exciting rounds.

The manner of the victory was the perfect tonic for Haye's reputation, which is still yet to be fully rehabilitated in the wake of his September 2004 loss to Carl Thompson. In that fight, Haye started powerfully but faded and seemed mentally affected when the old warhorse didn't fall to his power punches. An exhausted Haye was stopped in five rounds.

And perhaps Haye's critics expected a similar scenario last Friday at the York Hall, when Fragomeni, too, refused to wilt under the weight of the Hayemaker's early bombs. The brave Italian won some rounds, too, and even seemed on the verge of a stoppage win when a right hook sliced Haye's left eye wide open in the middle rounds.

"At the end of the eighth I was ready to tell David he'd got about a minute left to stop Fragomeni," admitted Haye's trainer/manager Adam Booth. "But then I decided that I shouldn't worry David about it. The cut was very bad, it was deep, and there was a lot of blood. If it was an inexperienced referee in the fight, I think the fight would have been stopped but Daniel Van de Wiele is a fantastic referee and I could see that he wasn't looking to stop the fight.

"Van de Wiele could see David was wasn't blinded by the blood and was still landing his own shot accurately, so, given the situation, I felt there was no reason to let David know how bad the cut was until after the fight. David was boxing a very mature fight, he had just got his man back under control, and I didn't want to panic him into changing the gameplan again."

Haye had eight stitches in his eye, but they have since been removed.

Booth, who is great friends with his charge, is very proud of Haye's performance. "I'm very, very happy with what David produced not just in the ring but in training for the fight. He really worked so hard, he was in tremendous shape and that showed because he still had the same power in his shots at the end of the fight as he did in the first round.

"The left hook to the body was what won him the fight; David really hurt Fragomeni with that hook and when David has a fighter hurt he goes right after them."

Booth laughed: "David looked like a West Indian fast-bowler charging after Fragomeni to finish the fight. We're now calling that punch the Hayemaker, he just ran after him and whacked him to the floor."

With the win, Haye has been installed as the WBC's No.1 contender and will face the winner of the upcoming O'Neil Bell v Jean-Marc Mormeck rematch.

Opinion is split as to whether or not Haye is quite ready for to take on the very best in the division just yet, though.

Booth offered his thoughts: "David got caught a little too often on Friday because the opponent was employing good tactics but also because his defense wasn't what it should and can be. We have got things to work on, but David won't be fighting for the title for a while yet anyway. Bell and Mormeck rematch by February and David will fight the winner probably in the summer."

Promoter Don King is yet to announce where or when Bell v Mormeck II will take place but the WBC have ordered it to take place no later than February. Team Haye is hoping for a repeat of January's KO win for Bell.

Booth said: "I hope Bell beats Mormeck again because his style is better suited for us that Mormeck. Honestly, I'd take Bell now whereas I'd wait a little while if Mormeck regains his title. Bell has a puncher's chance against anyone, and he'll be just as dangerous no matter when we fight him. Mormeck, meanwhile, is a little more cagey and I'd like David to be a little more prepared for that."

Booth added that Haye will fight again in March and await Bell v Mormeck II winner in early summer 2007.