Watched the big boxing match today.
I haven’t read any of the post-fight analysis because I’m disappointed that ‘my guy’ lost so convincingly and don’t really want to read about what I can figure out for myself.
There are three relevant facts that made tonight’s result unsurprising (as much as I wish it were not so).
First, both guys have the fundamentals down: they’re both very skilled and show up in shape.
Second, David Haye is much smaller than WK.
Third, both guys fight to avoid getting their glassy chins broken.
The first fact means that neither guy has an obvious and easy weakness to exploit. The second fact means that Haye can’t outbox WK. He needs to travel too far to score shots to get a decision win. The third fact takes Haye’s last option off the table: he can’t walk in Tyson-style and trade cannonfire because he won’t risk getting put to sleep.
I’ve said it before: the best boxers can really beat the crap out of each other when they put their mind to it. Superstars just have too much to lose to let themselves get hit a lot and it shows; they fight to not lose.
WK’s style is perfectly suited to a superstar boxer because he risks so little. He just has to be bigger and jab away at people until they do something stupid. I predict he’ll continue to box for a while, but I bet Haye’s going to retire soon and try to have a go of just being a ‘celebrity’.
It’s easier work.
Not Unreasonable 