By Paul Downey: Having attended the fight on Saturday night, here’s just a few of my thoughts regarding the build-up, the fight and now the aftermath. Firstly, the build-up to this all British clash was superb, Sky really pulled out all the stops, and in some ways attempted to pull the wool over people’s eyes to consider that Audley Harrison could become the WBA Heavyweight Champion of the world.

There was talk of this ‘big left hand’, and David Haye being chinny the Olympic Gold Medal and of course the knockout of Michael Sprott, for which I was in attendance in April.
All smoke and mirrors I’m afraid.

For me also when the fighters entered the arena, the fight that as I recall there was four highlights of Harrison and two were the same punch from the second Sprott fight, said it all really.
Sky were clutching at straws to find exciting Audley Harrison moments, but credit to them they spliced it all together and put across a very convincing package.

A friend of mine, who is a casual boxing fan, even had a bet on Harrison to KO Haye in the7th round, I did warn him whatever happened it wouldn’t last that long.

Having watched the weigh-in on the Friday on Sky Sports News, I think that is the point that Audley Harrison, mentally froze. It was real, the magnitude of the task kind of dawned upon him, and he was found wanting in a bad way.

As my brother who attended with myself pointed out at the end of the second round, ‘Same old Audley’.

The tools are all there physically, but mentally he just hasn’t the bottle or the bravery to be a world class fighter. You either have it, or you don’t, and Audley doesn’t it’s just not in his genetic make-up.
We saw in the build-up Audley and his training team at Big Bear Mountain in California, and there was of course a lot of talk by his trainer Shadeed Soluki about ‘holding him back’ and having a game plan.
Now in the hindsight if Harrison is to box on, maybe at domestic level, the first thing he should do is fire Soluki who it appeared offered him no plan B. I think the relationship between a trainer and his boxer needs to be air-tight, as for example Adam Booth and David Haye.

You have to be able to trust that trainer with your life, and I don’t think Audley did.

Even some of the best trainers in the world such as Freddie Roach, Emanuel Steward or even Cus D’Amato for Mike Tyson. They all have or had different relationships with their fighters, but ultimately they knew how to get the best out of them.

People kind of forget that Lamon Brewster did beat Wladimir Klitschko in 2004, but was also taken out in the return fight three years later in 2007.
With regards to Haye, he just showed what we all knew was there all along, and from my own personal prediction: once he starts to land cleanly the fight is over.

No one will read too much into the fight itself, but one thing that remains is Haye’s killer instinct, like a shark that smells blood he went for the kill when he knew the prey was there and waiting.
Now the big question is can he finally get in the ring with a Klitschko, and of course which one?

This is a big debate right now, as Vitali is creeping towards his 40th year, and arguably Wladimir appears to be improving in fights.

The more exciting fight would be with Wladimir, as Haye pointed out because ‘he lets his hands go a bit more’, and just like Haye he is vulnerable and been on the mat before.
Whereas Vitali who dominated Shannon Briggs in his last fight without showing anything show-stopping or out of his comfort zone, is in notable decline and his last few fights probably since the Juan Carlos Gomez fight have been stinkers.

He is also easier to hit now, as I can recall after the embarrassing ‘challenge’ by American Kevin Johnson at the back end of 2009, he does mark up very easily on his face.
Johnson threw more verbal insults that night than punches, but Vitali still looked like he had been in a competitive fight by the 12th round.

Also despite his excellent stoppage record, a lot of average fighters are being able to take him 10 or 12 rounds which was not the case throughout his career.
Arreola was stopped in 10, as well as Sosnowski (a European standard Heavyweight at best), and both Briggs and Johnson took him the distance.

David Haye’s best tactic with Vitali would have to be to bust him up, really lay some leather on him early doors and see what the reaction is. Lest we forget Vitali has never touched down in his entire professional career, this includes taking some rasping shots from Lennox Lewis before being stopped due to a horrific cut above his left eye in their fight in 2003.

As much as the Klitschko brothers have nowhere to go now (obviously provided Derek Chisora doesn’t surprisee Wladimir in December), neither does Haye in that respect.

The lack of credible opponents is dying off even more so now, with the Americans having no real stand out talents coming through and Britain certainly clutching at straws for future world title contenders.
From the excellent punditry on Sky from Barry McGuigan (arguably one of the most analytical pundits in boxing) he said Haye should try to make the fight with Wladimir first, as Vitali is seen as the major threat because of his solid stance and the fact he’s never been hurt in a fight before. You could argue that Lewis might have taken him out if their fight would have continued.

It is also worth pointing out Lennox took on Vitali with just a few weeks notice, and was certainly coming towards the end of his career. A prime Lewis, like the one who disposed of Razor Ruddock and Michael Grant would have been a different animal altogether.

There is also news today that the BBBC (British Boxing Board of Control) are considering taking some of Audley’s purse away from him, because of his inactivity and the one-sided nature of the contest.
They certainly would be justified in this action, but Harrison does deserve a slice of the pie, how much I suppose is the Board’s decision.

Suffice to say now that Audley Harrison should retire as he has nowhere to go, any sort of minor credibility was shattered within 9 minutes on Saturday night.
And for David Haye every road now leads to a Klitschko..