David Haye vs. Audley Harrison explained

Fight Name:Best of Enemies
Fight Date:13 November 2010
Location:MEN Arena, Manchester, United Kingdom
Titles:WBA Heavyweight Championship
Fighter1: David Haye
Nickname1:"The Hayemaker"
Hometown1:Bermondsey, London
Purse1:£4,200,000
Record1:24–1 (22 KO)
Height1:6 ft 3 in
Weight1:210+1/2 lb
Style1:Orthodox
Recognition1:WBA
Heavyweight Champion
The Ring
No. 2 Ranked Heavyweight
Fighter2: Audley Harrison
Nickname2:"A-Force"
Hometown2:Park Royal, London
Purse2:£1,500,000
Record2:27–4 (20 KO)
Height2:6 ft 5+1/2 in
Weight2:253+1/2 lb
Style2:Southpaw
Recognition2:WBA
No. 13 Ranked Heavyweight
Result:Haye defeated Harrison via 3th round TKO

David Haye vs. Audley Harrison, billed as Best of Enemies, was a professional boxing match contested on 13 November 2010, for the WBA Heavyweight championship.[1]

Background

After his stoppage win over former champion John Ruiz in his first defence, WBA champion David Haye entered into negotiations with the Klitschko brothers with Wembley Stadium and Stamford Bridge being mentioned possible venues.[2] This talks however were unsuccessful as the brothers agreed to face former champions Shannon Briggs and Samuel Peter instead. This left the main options for Haye as, European champion (and former amateur teammate) Audley Harrison and former 2 division champion Tomasz Adamek.[3] Ultimately Haye came to an agreement with Harrison to meet in November.[4]

The build up to bout was marked by a great amount of trashtalk from both fighters, including Haye saying "Fortunately, there are enough people in Britain who want to see him get destroyed, completely annihilated. That's why this fight is happening. They want me to close the curtain on the joke that is the Audley Harrison show." While Harrison said "When I came out of the Olympics they called me Muhammad Ali, then four years later I'm 'Fraudley'. But after this fight I'll be extraordinary.".[5] [6]

It was expected that Haye' superior speed, coupled with his uppercut would give him the edge over the slower and innately more cautious Harrison.[7] [8] [9]

This was only third time in history that two brits had faced each other for the heavyweight title, and first on UK soil since Lennox Lewis vs. Frank Bruno in 1993.

The fight

Harrison entered the ring to a chorus of boos, prompting BBC Radio 5 Live co-commentator Steve Bunce to comment that "Audley looks troubled, he looks nervous and he looks tormented".[10]

The first round was extremely tentative with neither fighter landing any punches. The second round started in the same vain before the referee briefly halted the action to encourage the pair to engage, prompting cheers from the crowd. Haye begin throwing more through the rest of the round, but nothing seemed to trouble the challenger. Haye came out firing at the start of the third and he hurt Harrison with a big right hand. Haye followed up with a pair of left-right combinations that sent Harrison down. He beat the count but Haye immediately launched a barrage of unanswered punching with Harrison against the ropes, prompting the referee to wave it off giving Haye a third-round TKO victory.[11] [12] [13] According to punchstats Harrison only landed 2 of the 28 punches (both jabs) he threw although the whole bout.

Aftermath

Harrison's performance was widely criticised by both boxing experts and fans,[14] [15] leading to the British Boxing Board of Control withholding some of his purse while a full investigation of the bout was carried out.[16] After the investigation into the fight was concluded, Harrison would be granted his full purse on 11 January 2011.[17] [18]

Haye would again call out the Klitschko brothers, with his trainer Adam Booth saying to BBC Radio 5 Live "They (the Klitschkos) want a defining fight and David wants a defining fight. David will be retiring in October next year so they haven't got a lot of time to speak sense. He'll take out Wladimir before summer and take care of Vitali after the summer."[19] Haye would face criticism for suggesting that he bet on himself to win in the third round saying in a post fight interview "I put a lot of money on the third round and a lot of my friends and family did. I didn't want to let them down by doing him too early. Ask around - I told everyone I'd knock him out in three rounds. That's exactly what I did. No way was he going into that fourth round."[20] He would later clarify that he didn't bet any money personally,[21] which was accepted by the BBBC.[22]

Undercard

Confirmed bouts:[23]

Broadcasting

align=center Countryalign=center Broadcaster
TV2 Sport
ARD
DigiSport
Polsat
Sky Sports

Notes and References

  1. Web site: David Haye vs. Audley Harrison . boxrec.com . BoxRec . 17 March 2024.
  2. Web site: Press Association . Talks to start this week between David Haye and Klitschko brothers . . 18 March 2024 . 13 April 2010.
  3. Web site: Klitschko brothers line up autumn bouts to leave David Haye frustrated . The Guardian . 7 March 2024 . 31 July 2010.
  4. Web site: Jamie Jackson . David Haye close to setting date for WBA title defence against Audley Harrison . . 7 March 2024 . 3 September 2010.
  5. Web site: Tale of the Traps . bbc.co.uk . BBC . 17 March 2024 . 9 November 2010.
  6. Web site: Kevin Mitchell . David Haye sets sights on hard and fast finish against Audley Harrison . . 17 March 2024 . 12 November 2010.
  7. Web site: Kevin Mitchell . David Haye's speed is crucial but Audley Harrison can slow him down . . 17 March 2024 . 12 November 2010.
  8. Web site: David Haye v Audley Harrison: Weapons and weaknesses . . 17 March 2024 . 12 November 2010.
  9. Web site: Ben Dirs . Audley's final fling . bbc.co.uk . BBC . 17 March 2024 . 12 November 2010.
  10. Web site: Nabil Hassan . Saturday boxing as it happened . bbc.co.uk . BBC . 17 March 2024 . 13 November 2010.
  11. Web site: Evan Fanning . David Haye v Audley Harrison - as it happened . . 17 March 2024 . 13 November 2010.
  12. Web site: Ben Dirs . David Haye stops Audley Harrison to retain WBA title . bbc.co.uk . BBC . 17 March 2024 . Manchester . 14 November 2010.
  13. Web site: Haye outclasses Harrison in one-sided title fight . espn.co.uk . ESPN . 17 March 2024 . 13 November 2010.
  14. Web site: Kevin Mitchell . Explosive David Haye leaves Audley Harrison hurting with nowhere to hide . . 17 March 2024 . 14 November 2010.
  15. Web site: Nomia Iqbal . David Haye and Audley Harrison fight 'a farce' say fans . bbc.co.uk . BBC . 17 March 2024 . Manchester . 15 November 2010.
  16. "Harrison faces BBBC probe", Sky Sports, 15 November 2010, retrieved 15 November 2010.
  17. "Audley Harrison to be paid for David Haye bout", BBC Sport, 11 January 2011, retrieved 11 January 2011.
  18. "Wages day for Harrison", Sky Sports, 11 January 2011, retrieved 11 January 2011.
  19. Web site: Ben Dirs . David Haye targets Klitschko brothers for next fight . bbc.co.uk . BBC . 17 March 2024 . 14 November 2010.
  20. Web site: ESPN staff . Board to probe Haye bet controversy . espn.co.uk . ESPN . 19 March 2024 . 15 November 2010.
  21. Web site: David Haye denies betting on himself to beat Harrison . bbc.co.uk . BBC . 19 March 2024 . 15 November 2010.
  22. Web site: Press Association . David Haye to escape punishment over third-round betting claim . . 19 March 2024 . 15 November 2010.
  23. Web site: BoxRec - event.