David Haye Wipes the Floor With Mark de Mori
There wasn’t much to take away from David Haye’s demolition job of Australian club fighter Mark de Mori at the O2 Arena, London, but we do know a few things. The Hayemaker is back, looks to have filled out nicely at Heavyweight (he no longer looks like a bulky Crusier), and is set to be a huge hit in 2016.
Did we get an idea of how Haye might cope against the division’s top guns? Absolutely not, because this was a dreadful (dare I say dangerous?) mismatch. We knew Haye vs de Mori wasn’t competitive on paper, but this really was gut-wrenching to watch.
Anyway, the Hayemaker is back on track, has a momentum of sorts behind him, and should be a front runner to face a Heavyweight Top 10 ranked opponent sooner rather than later in 2016. Dude’s 35, so it figures he’ll be hot on the heels of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and co. My belief is that Haye will seek out British blockbusters before international meetings, including stateside dustups with characters like Deontay Wilder who would probably demand home advantage.
To round up, Haye is back and looking dangerous. Let’s just hope he locks horns with a worthy challenger in his next outing.
Deontay Wilder Puts Artur Szpilka to Sleep
Billed as a mismatch by the majority of boxing fans, Wilder vs Szpilka was actually a pretty decent main event at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn. WBC champ Wilder was made to think, had to work for the victory, and made the affair all the more memorable by scoring a scary knockout which saw Szpilka horizontal and out cold for some time.
Fortunately Szpilka was eventually able to stand for the official fight result alongside his conqueror, but was stretchered off by medics to ensure no serious damage had occurred. Boxing Base’s thoughts and wishes are with Szpilka, and we commend him for one hell of a ballsy, strategic effort at the weekend.
If Szpilka had brought about the upset, he would have become the first Polish contender in history to capture a world title. And up until the fearless Pole got tagged by Wilder’s monstrous counter right in the 8th, it seemed like the WBC strap was shifting towards Szpilka’s corner. I for one had the fight 78-74 at the time due to Szpilka outlanding and showcasing some impressive ring smarts, avoiding Wilder’s long jab while firing off an economical assault.
But the fact remained that Wilder was the stronger, bigger, heavier-handed fighter who only ever needed one punch to achieve victory. And when it landed, you knew this thing was over.
So what now for Wilder? Alexander Povetkin? Tyson Fury? Dare I say David Haye? Or other? I’ve a strong feeling it will be Povetkin, mainly because the WBC might kick off if Wilder shelves their mandatory challenger once again, and even more so because Povetkin is a name that’s been filling forums for some time now.
And yeah, Povetkin isn’t a huge threat either. So, you know, it makes sense for Wilder to cash in on a fight like this before fighting, say, Tyson Fury, who I should mention climbed into the ring to shout some unsavoury words at Wilder post fight. Yes, Fury was in attendance and enjoyed putting on his own show for the Brooklyn crowd.
Charles Martin Becomes IBF Heavyweight Champ…Technically
Hard-hitting prospect Charles Martin now holds a piece of the Heavyweight crown, but it didn’t reach his waist in conclusive fashion. The unbeaten fighter took on Vyacheslav Glazkov, our then No.8 Heavyweight, finding victory after Glazkov injured his knee twice, with it eventually popping out of the socket. Ouch, indeed.
Yeah, not a classic, and all the much more so considering the first two rounds weren’t particularly action-packed. By hey ho, no one’s to blame here. This is sport. This is boxing. So it happens, people. Every major title of the Heavyweight division now has its owner; Martin the IBF, Wilder the WBC, and Fury the WBA and WBO.
What are your thoughts on the weekend’s Heavyweight action? And what does the near future hold for its biggest attractions, Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury and David Haye, in 2016? Could we soon have a unified champion, or, er…will sanctioning fees get in the way of things?
