Likened to the biblical tale of ‘David and Goliath,’ this year’s WBA Heavyweight title fight between David Haye and Nikolai Valuev was subject to an epic media storm. At 7ft 2in, defending champion NIkolai Valuev is nine inches taller than Haye and  eight stone heavier. Despite Valuev’s giant proportions, Haye went ahead and met him in a fight for the title on November 7th, with the fight lasting a full 12 rounds. 

Comprehensively out-boxing and out-thinking Valuev throughout, Haye went on to win the match with a majority verdict of 114-114, 116-112, 116-112, despite finsihing the fight with a broken hand. Haye even came close to knocking Valuev down in the 11th round, where he delivered a swinging left hook, leaving his opponent stumbling and struggling to maintain his stature.

After his victory, Haye revealed that it was at the end of the 11th round that he realised he was only three minutes away from fulfilling a childhood dream, claiming that “it was easy tactically, but draining mentally.  If I’d had a couple more rounds I’d have knocked him out.”

Haye has become the first British fighter to hold the heavyweight title since Lennox Lewis, who retired as champion in 2004. He joins four other Britons, including Frank Bruno, who have ... (read more)