By Chris Williams: Although there are obvious differences in hand speed between Lamon Brewster and David Haye, I see them both being about the same kind of fighter, except that Haye’s chin isn’t nearly as good as Brewster’s is. Haye isn’t known for absorbing a lot of punishment, but that’s only because he’s fought as a cruiserweight for most of his career where he’s had the size advantage of his shorter, weaker, slower and much less talented opponents.
However, now that Haye is stepping into the heavyweight division, I think Haye’s entire way of fighting will be changed in a major way from this point forward starting with his June 20th bout for the International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization title match against champion Wladimir Klitschko (52-3, 46 KOs) at the Veltins Arena, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
Haye, 6’3”, but fights like a fighter two inches shorter than that due to his lack of a jab, is going to be unable to get past Wladimir’s jab in this fight and will take god awful punishment from the outside. This is going to be a replay of Wladimir’s 2nd fight with Lamon Brewster in 2008, a fight where Brewster was helpless on the outside, taking one hard jab after another to the head, and unable to get near enough to Wladimir to throw one of his big hooks.
Each time Brewster would try to get in close, Wladimir would pound him with a head jab that would snap Brewster’s head and thus driving him backwards where it was safer. Haye has never been one that has had to take a lot of head shots, and in the few fights that Haye has had an opponent that was able to hit him regularly, he’s had major problems.
Haye was rocked continuously while fighting Odlanier Solis while fighting as an amateur and by the 2nd round, Haye was finished. The shots didn’t look all that much, and really Haye wasn’t hit nearly as much as a normal heavyweight is, but he folded quickly after tasting Solis’ power for two rounds.
Likewise, Haye folded in a similar manner after taking punishment from a 40-year-old Carl Thompson in the 4th and 5th rounds, getting dropped once and then having the towel thrown in by his corner to safe Haye from being outright knocked out by Thompson.
Some say that Haye was fatigued from throwing too many punches, but I discount that excuse and see it as an attempt at damage control by Haye well wishers. Haye got knocked silly after getting rocked by a couple of big right hands from Thompson in the 4th and 5th.
Believe me, that wasn’t fatigue on Haye’s part. In the same way, I don’t believe that Wladimir was fatigued when he got nailed by big left hook from Brewster in his first fight with Lamon in 2004. Wladimir was shook up from the shot and ended up getting knocked out when he kept trying to trade after being hurt.
Haye is going to be unable to connect with any of his power shots because of Wladimir’s telephone pole like jab, which will be in Haye’s face constantly in the first few rounds, preventing Haye from getting near Wladimir. This is going to make Haye desperate, just as it did with Brewster in his second fight.
I expect Haye then to start making wild charges forward, getting hit with blistering shots as he comes in like a wild man and gets hammered each time. Wladimir will back up easily, still jabbing as he moves, pouring shots in on the shorter Haye.
If Haye finally does get close enough to throw a punch, Wladimir will clinch him immediately. At best, Haye might get one, possibly two wild shots off before he’s grabbed by Wladimir. Upon separation, Haye will have to start all over again eating painful jabs from the outside.
As good as Wladimir’s jab is, I don’t expect that Haye’s face will be able to take the shots for long without his skin breaking down and tearing under the heavy jabs. However, by then there will be a good chance that Haye will be in the final stages of the fight, ready to be knocked out by one of Wladimir’s right hands or left hooks.
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