Round-by-round
Saturday 5 December 2009 21:58, UK
See how David Haye out-boxed and out-foxed Nikolai Valuev to become WBA world heavyweight champion.
Londoner rules the world after out-pointing Valuev
David Haye is the heavyweight champion of the world! The Londoner won a majority decision over the towering Nikolai Valuev after executing the perfect gameplan in Nuremberg. The first scorecard could not split them at 114-114 but Haye's dreams came true when the second and third were read out 116-112 in his favour. Here's how the drama unfolded... ROUND TWELVE: This is it David... will he let the leather fly in a grandstand finish? Valuev catches him with two jabs but a wild right hook sweeps about six inches over his head. Haye hits back to the body, but nothing is going upstairs any more - until a right catches the Russian on the way back in. A left-right lands and then a big left hook wobbles Valuev badly... and I mean badly! Haye jumps in but is smothered and then another right lands on the back of the head, before he catches him again! Haye celebrates and swings a right in - why did this not happen at least a little earlier?SKYSPORTS.COM SCORE: Haye 10-9 Valuev ROUND ELEVEN: Valuev backs Haye up with a couple of body shots and it all gets a little scrappy. Normal service is resumed and Haye lands a right with a wide grin to follow, but just when you think Valuev is rattled the robot kicks in, he calms down and the single shots come again. Haye is firing back a bit more now, but Valuev chases him around the ring and it's his feet not his fists that are the Brit's best assets in the last minute. Again, Valuev does enough but you get the feeling this is heading for the cards - and we all know what that might mean
SKYSPORTS.COM SCORE: Haye 10-9 Valuev ROUND TEN: Has Haye been saving something for this last quarter? Not if the first 30 seconds are anything to go by. Haye can do little else, but as long as he sticks before he moves, it's no problem. Valuev lands a right in the corner, Haye squirms out and then hits a right into his ribs from the centre of the ring. Valuev thought looks to have tightened up his attack and Haye has to end the round on the offensive although his right is blocked and Valuev closes him right down in the closest thing we've seen to a sustained attack. The champ takes this one fairly easily and Adam Booth's talk in the corner does not mention taking it to him...
SKYSPORTS.COM SCORE: Haye 9-10 Valuev ROUND NINE: Valuev throws, misses, throws, misses. Haye backpedals and sidesteps and Haye finds himself in a clinch for the first time - his face in the Russian's armpit. Haye pings a right to the body and gets the hell out of Dodge before it even registers with Valuev. A decent jab, that flashing right and another left catch Valuev in the face and if it's landing shots that scores points, then Haye is ahead in this one. The Russian does push him back with a jab to the chest but providing Haye can keep throwing those combinations, he could well pull this off on points!
SKYSPORTS.COM SCORE: Haye 10-9 Valuev ROUND EIGHT: Haye needs to get that axe swinging and chop away at this giant tree, as promised. The odd jab and single shot is not going to be enough to prise the belt away from him. He does well to sway away from a left hook on the ropes and Valuev has missed plenty of punches in the first minute alone. David hits back well to the body, and then a decent left and right lands. Another bodyshot flusters the champ further and then Haye winds up the bolo punch - Valuev is saved by the bell! The Hayemaker's round, folks!
SKYSPORTS.COM SCORE: Haye 10-9 Valuev ROUND SEVEN: Haye stays on his bike and Valuev misses with a couple and perhaps is starting to tire. A quick three-punch salvo proves me wrong but backpedalling, Haye is out of the way. A nice left hook from Haye - although he was off balance - was met with a right counter, showing this guy can box a bit. Haye invites him into the corner and catches him on the chin with a straight right. It doesn't do much but Valuev doesn't like it - and likes the leering across the ring even less. Still another round on the back foot is not doing the Brit any favours on the cards.
SKYSPORTS.COM SCORE: Haye 9-10 Valuev ROUND SIX: Valuev feinting and feigning, showing he is more than just a lump, and a right catches Haye on his heels. Haye though, jumps back in, clubbing a left-right into those tree-like forearms and a left hook sweeps past the Russian's nose. It was merely a range-finer though and the next one lands. He then makes the big man miss badly and responds with a right to the ribs. A little more aggression from David and its gettting a little spicy now. Haye finishes strongly although you get the feeling he is getting caught too often on the counter. I'd give that one to Haye, if only for the flourish at the end.
SKYSPORTS.COM SCORE: Haye 10-9 Valuev ROUND FIVE: Ultra-cautious start from Haye but Valuev has a taste for it now and lands a jab then a left-right to the body. David is dancing sweetly and sticks a three-punch combo on Valuev's head - which is cheered by the Brits. This is most un-Haye like but what's needed to start with at least. Valuev catches him on the ropes with a left and right to the body, but cannot back him up. Haye responds with a typical lunging right at the end of the round, but again the man mountain is the winner of another static round. Surely Haye will open up soon...!
SKYSPORTS.COM SCORE: Haye 9-10 Valuev ROUND FOUR: Haye gets trapped in the corner as Valuev leaps in, but he skips out of trouble before it arrives. "Val-uuuu-ev, Val-uuu-ev" rings round the arena and their man responds with a nice right that glances Haye's cheek. Signs that Value is cutting the ring down and twice now he has Haye in the corner. The third time he tries it a left that comes from wide out ends up hitting the top rope long after Haye has scarpered. Haye lands a left back just to remind Valuev he can hit - although he leaps up with a right that misses and Valuev has done enough to take this. Sooner or later Haye is going to open up... he has too because this won't win him a world title in Germany!
SKYSPORTS.COM SCORE: Haye 9-10 Valuev ROUND THREE: Valuev doubles up for the first time with a jab and a right, but Haye scampers out of the way. The Russian then lurches in with a right hook but the Brit leaps to the side and then slams a straight right back into Valuev's face. The tactics are spot on from Haye but will his back-foot boxing impress the judges and will he get tired? A left hook also lands while Valuev, robotically walks his man down, dangling out the odd jab. Another right on the slide lands too for Haye. Valuev looks a little annoyed... but in all the week's build-up has he ever looked anything else?
SKYSPORTS.COM SCORE: Haye 10-9 Valuev ROUND TWO:Valuev paws out a couple of jabs but Haye steers clear, and he lands a cheeky little left hook, but these are all single shots. Haye looks comfortable but is cricling the ring all round, while the Russian is planted in the middle. Valuev does lean down into his jab and Haye tries one of the overhead shots he's been working on, but it misses. Then that Hayemaker right lands and Haye jumps in with two more - just what's needed - before he's off again. That's enough to take the round
SKYSPORTS.COM SCORE: Haye 10-9 Valuev ROUND ONE: Haye is dwarfed and is pushed onto the back foot by two big jabs. The third one he dodges though and his dancing shoes are on already - which might not be a bad thing at all. A right-hand on the move is Haye's first attack and sensiblty he steps out of harm's way as soon as it lands. A nice body shot sneaks under Valuev's left arm, and a one-two barrage gets in, but Valuev just shrugs it off and lumbers forward. A tidy start from the Brit, but it is all a bit surreal because this guy is huge. Just huge
SKYSPORTS.COM SCORE: Haye 9-10 Valuev
