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Those shots would have knocked down a wall, but they wouldn't knock down Carl Thompson! I think Haye knew he was in trouble when he had expended his shots in the first two rounds and Thompson was still there. Thompson was in a world of trouble in the first two rounds, his eyes may have been clear but his legs looked like they were made of rubber. Haye landed some devastating shots and any one of them could have ended the fight.
There were a couple of times in these first two rounds when I thought a case could have been made for the referee to step in, he certainly had a good look, if Thompson had gone down it could have been all over, but what a heart and chin he showed to stay on his feet through such a barrage.
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The fifth was all Thompson, an exhausted Haye could do little but try and escape as Thompson punded him, Haye took some meaty shots before a peach of a hook on the temple dropped him late. He recovered and came out, but Thompson, seeing his opportunity piled on the pressure, caught him with another sweet shot and battered him in the corner forcing the referee to step in.
It was ridiculous tactics by Hayes' corner though, you don't make a fight strategy centered around blowing a guy out in a few rounds, and when you have twelve round fight you spar for fifteen or eighteen rounds, not eight. And when that guy is Carl 'The Cat' Thompson you should spar for more.
Haye has been let down by his corner here and is probably a victim of his own self confidence to a degree. It's obvious what a great talent he is, even Thompson said so, and he was very positive after the fight. For me that is a good sign, Haye has lost a fight sure, but what's one fight in what is going to be a 10-15 year career? People are going to look at this fight and say 'Look at those two going at it!' This is what boxing is all about! David Haye might have lost but he can garner a lot of respect from this.
Thompson on the other hand, well, what a year 'The Cat' is having. Nobody expected him to win this, I knew that if Haye underestimated him he would be punished, but I didn't think he had any real chance of winning, and Carl proves everyone wrong again. I cannot get over to you how much respect, and admiration I have for Carl Thompson here. The heart and determination, the courage I have seen from him in his last two fights is like nothing I have ever witnessed in the ring before in my life.
Both of these fighters deserve all the credit and respect in the world for allowing us to see such an entertaining and exciting fight, I haven't seen one like this for a while. Prior to this the fight I picked for excitement was a domestic between Dave 'Kid Dynamite' Walker and Spencer Fearon. Ok, so not world class fighters, but anybody who has seen the fight will understand what I mean. This fight was even better, and so exciting it's not even true. Even now I have such a buzz from it that I feel like I have drank a barrell of Red Bull.
David was bang on with what he said after the fight, it was a loss on his record but the public got what they wanted a great fight, probably a leading candidate for fight of the year I'd say. The old veteran suprising the young prospect, but them both being happy to put on a great show.
Haye needs to go away, work on his game plan, work at his defence, footwork and stamina, he has great power and beautiful boxing skills, but this fight shows that at present he isn't the complete boxer that a lot of people, myself included of course, thought he was. It also showed that he has the potential to be one of the best in the world if he can keep up the speed and power that he showed in the first two rounds for eight or ten or twelve.
Haye is one of the most exciting prospects out there, and as long as he trains and is trained properly (I noticed he actually came in heavier than usual at 14st 11 - 208lbs) then I see no reason why he can't get his career back on track.
Thompson can only go onward and upward from hereon out. He has opportunities as people will be knocking down his door to fight him, and rightly so, he has earned this shot. It doesn’t come as often as I would like in boxing that a guy who has worked hard and tried his best gets what he deserves. If Thompson gets a shot at Nelson, the winner of Jean-Marc Mormeck-Wayne Braithwaite WBA/WBC unification bout, Top IBF contender O'Neil Bell or similar then he will have what he deserves.
Haye will be able to take so much away from this fight as a learning experience, I think this fight, albeit a loss has probably done him more good than his ten wins. It will force him to make himself a better boxer, which in the long term can only be good for both him and British boxing.
Have no fears Haye will be back and I can't wait! What a great fight, congratulations again to Carl Thompson and David Haye, what athletes, competitors and gentlemen they both are!
Roll on Haye v. Thompson II !!!!
