By By Michael Brady: This Saturday a battle for the heavyweight championship of the world will take place, coined by some as the London Championships, an event now laughable when compared to what could have been, and for now has passed.
Others wait; stewing impatiently in anticipation of what could be, no matter how incongruous and foolish it may initially seem.
For many there is no doubt as to who will emerge victorious, David Haye, in emphatic fashion. And then there are those who stray from the masses, deterring from the seemingly obvious and opting to approach the outcome with a rather a novel twist. Audley Harrison; stunning the entire boxing world, finally achieving what has been proclaimed by him for what seems to be an eternity.
Here I offer my opinion as to how this fight will pan out.
Audley Harrison starts with a vigour and bright energy never before present in any of his previous fights. For a short while he succeeds in keeping Haye away, using his long range, a primary tactic is to instantly intimidate and dishearten the champion. The left hand is thrown but is either inaccurate or blocked. The momentum soon switches as David Haye pounces, using swift lateral movement to slip and evade the jabs and move into range. A sharp right hand is thrown and Haye darts in and out of range, abruptly stopping Audley from carrying out his current intentions. And at the moment the tide changes. Harrison now emits a more defensive and cagey demeanour, still pumping the jab out with varying success. Haye follows the aforementioned pattern, in a divergent manner; keeping surprisingly calm… almost as if he’s brewing, in wait for the perfect moment to strike.
Through most of rounds two and three Harrison’s attack gradually subsides and Haye ratchets up the intensity of his attack. With his gameplan now neutralized Audley reverts back to old tactics, tentatively backing up when Haye moves in to unleash an assault.
Haye towards the end of round 3 detonates a sturdy right hand on Harrison, staggering him. The champion then snaps, in a Jekyll and Hyde manner swarming his target, bombarding him with ferocious flurries, landing 2 or 3 significant punches. Audley Harrison drops onto all fours… rising slowly, his equilibrium clearly affected as his legs move very cautiously. He reverts back to covering up against the ropes with the primary instinct of survival at the forefront of his mind. The bell sounds to end the third round.
With Audley still shaken and on the precipice of falling again Haye storms out of the corner. Harrison covers successfully for a while, temporarily preventing what now seems to be the inevitable outcome. That outcome then arises, as David Haye with his hallmark vehement and fury unleashes a viscious right hook, that catches Audley, who as a result slumps to the canvas for a second time. He precariously rises, the referee watching tentatively as he gives the green light for the fight to continue. Haye seizes his opportunity, exploding towards Audley, swarming him with punches; Harrison takes several bludgeoning blows and sinks backwards… the ropes now the only things keeping him on his feet. The referee darts in and waves the fight off as he covers a dazed Audley Harrison, at the end of round 4.
Overall David Haye proves to be of a entirely different calibre in comparison to Audley Harrison, managing to top him in pretty much every department. The deciding factor being his illusive movement twinned with his potent punch power. Harrison is found wanting, and unable to cope once pressure of that magnitude is applied; and soon succumbs to the onslaught.
PREDICTION 2
Date: Sunday November 15th
Time: 0400 hundred hours UK time
Location: Cowboys Stadium, Texas, USA
It is at this time, that the entire boxing world could be shaken. For many boxing’s messiah steps into the ring again, to increase the height of his seemingly unreachable plateau; with boxing endeavours most see as truly remarkable. Manny Pacquiao returns to the ring once again.
Most fans find common ground when discussing the feats of Antonio Margarito, with a career now overshadowed by scandal and corruption. The infamous handwrap controversy, that unfolded two years ago, before a brutal 11th round stoppage at the hands of sugar Shane Mosley. A moment of corruption, tainting his career beyond repair. In the eyes of boxing fans atleast.
In the eyes of Margarito this is a night of redemption. A chance to wipe clean a dark and bloodied slate. Doing so would be nothing short of sensational, even though he enters the ring, with nothing to lose… and it all to gain.
I see this being one of the toughest fights of Pacquiao’s career, facing a daunting task against a formidable foe. The “Tijuana tornado” comes in the form of a unyielding and relentless opponent. With what could be a weight advantage in excess of 20lbs on the night and a height advantage of nearly 6 inches, Manny will need to produce an acme performance; one of sublime proportions… and I believe he will do this.
Whether or not a completely clean Margarito still possesses that pernicious assault remains to be seen; however, one thing that cannot be altered is the set of whiskers he carries. Stopped only once, and on that occasion it took one of the most devastating welterweights 11 rounds to dispose of him, whilst in a questionable psychological state.
I do not see Manny Pacquiao stopping Antonio Margarito, instead proving to be rapidly illusive, mixing this with blinding combinations, executed in a manner of clinical excellence; in what would be in an almost faultless and cohesive fashion. Pacquiao comfortably takes the first 5 or 6 rounds. Being overall just too fast for his opponent, who initially seems to be an easy target.
After around 6 rounds, Margarito could start to find success, as his method of walking opponents down starts to have an impact; as the overall strength advantage takes over.
Margarito catches Pacquiao with tyrannical assaults to the body, as he manages to back him up against the ropes and corners. The last few rounds are consequently brutal, for both fighters. Manny with the cleaner, sharper punches. Antonio looking for body shots to start paying dividends. Both subsequently could be rocked at any point, late in the fight.
Despite Margarito’s efforts, I see Pacquiao emerging victorious via unanimous decision, by two or three rounds. His speed being a decisive factor in taking the earlier rounds comfortably, as Margarito provides a fairly easy target on the night. A night which was not without its difficulties.
All there is to do now is wait, wait for the arrival of Saturday night; a night which contains a mouth watering itinerary of boxing. No matter which angle you see it; it cannot be denied that for those few moments the most impressive and paramount sport on the planet takes centre stage once again. A sport unparalleled by any other, destined to entertain in the most striking fashion.
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