Nikolai Valuev vs. David Haye

David Haye's pursuit of heavyweight glory continues apace with a grudge match against the 'Beast from the East' Nikolai Valuev in Germany on 7th November. The Hayemaker aims to silence his critics and emulate Evander Holyfield's successful move from undisputed cruiserweight champion to heavyweight legend. Standing in his way is an angry 7ft 2in, 23 stone, Russian giant out for blood.

Haye's disrespect and clownish behaviour in the build up to this fight has been nothing short of disgraceful. Like Carl Froch, Haye has never received the unfettered adulation of his home nation but, unlike the aforementioned Nottingham boxer, he seems not to give a toss. Such rampant individualism would be admirable were it not for his propensity for being a bit of a nob. Here are a few of Haye's choice musings on Valuev, which are quoted verbatim so as not to lessen the impact of his neo-Wildean wit:

"Valuev is a lot uglier than I expected, that's the first thing I noticed... he looks like something out of Lord of the Rings."

"All you've got to do is look at a picture of the guy and that speaks volumes. I consider him more of a circus show freak that happens to be boxing."

"[Valuev] comes out with a really hairy chest that gets matted and disgusting. I've never been a fan of the matted hair in my face."

"The size I am, I sort of come up to his chest and apparently the word around the camp fire is that he don't smell too sweet."

"I've talked to a few guys who have been in the ring with him and they say that the first thing they notice, just the stench."

Haye claims his trash talking is an attempt to get his opponent mad and off his game, but it's more likely this is a pathetic attempt to drum up publicity and interest in the fight. Valuev's purse is guaranteed but Haye is reliant on pay-per-view subscriptions. HBO and Showtime - America's premier boxing broadcasters - aren't interested, which vastly cuts down his earning potential. This only leaves the UK's Sky television. So instead of training in his Cypriot base, Haye is punching heads off cardboard cut-outs and brawling with men in costumes, desperately attempting to secure more pay-per-view subscriptions.

Significantly Valuev declined to attend Haye's press conference due to training commitments but, had he attended, you can be sure there would have been no village idiot pantomime from the Russian. Valuev is a dichotomy; a fearsome giant who gets paid to knock men out on the one hand, on the other he is a cultured writer of poetry and listens to Chopin and Mozart in his spare time. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn is his favourite author. It is to Valuev's credit that he has not allowed himself to be dragged down to his opponent's level.

Haye has one loss on his CV. This is the spectre at the feast - the loss that continually haunts him, if not in his own eyes, then certainly in everybody else's. Carl Thompson was a 40-year-old former cruiserweight champion, his best days long since past, when Haye took him on. This should have been a routine victory, a mere footnote in Haye's onwards-and-upwards quest for superstardom, but somebody forgot to tell Thompson that. In the first two rounds, Haye had him hurt and threw everything at him, but admirably Thompson survived. The younger man's exertion cost him, he punched himself out, and by the fifth round he was struggling to even throw a punch. Meanwhile Thompson recovered from his early beating and grew in stature. Haye's TKO loss was a formality.

The vast majority of boxers lose fights. The best of them learn from it and come back stronger. If possible they beat their vanquisher. If not, they still regain their air of invincibility. Sometimes though, when the loss is such a spectacular implosion, they can never shake it off, it always hangs around like a bad smell. David Haye knows all about this. His loss to Thompson may always leave question marks over his conditioning and stamina. Since then he has gone some way to dispel those assumptions - four of his more recent fights have gone past eight rounds including a real war with Giacobbe Fragomeni - but it will take some impressive victories yet before that loss can be attributed to an aberration.

Valuev's stamina cannot be questioned, he has lasted the distance time and again. In fact, in his last ten fights, seven of them have gone to a decision. This is significant; against higher quality opposition - guys who can take a punch - Valuev often struggles to knock them out. I believe this trend will continue with Haye. Conversely, can the Englishman knock Valuev out? Well, it has never happened before so Haye will have to do something incredible to achieve it.

In a Heavyweight contest, there is always the risk of looking like an ill-informed ignoramus by predicting a decision - especially when there are question marks over one of the boxer's conditioning - but despite that caveat, I'm backing Haye for the decision win. Ruslan Chagaev demonstrated that it is possible to rack up points on the inside against Valuev and with Haye's superior speed I think he will be able to get in-and-out and cause the Russian problems. I don't expect him to dominate but I believe Haye will do enough to get the nod.

Prediction: Haye by decision.

Super Six Results: Arthur Abraham vs. Jermain Taylor

King Arthur's Bad Intentions

It was of little surprise to most informed boxing observers that Jermain Taylor was knocked-out late on in his fight with Armenian power-house Arthur Abraham. It was surprising, however, that Taylor's conditioning didn't appear to play a role in his demise. Indeed, with 20 seconds of the fight remaining it actually appeared that for once Taylor had lived up to his oft-promised, yet never delivered, return to form and fitness. None of the familiar signs - mouth open gasping for air, reduced punch output, repeated clinching - that herald his imminent knock out were there and 'Bad Intentions' looked all set to take it to the score cards.

Taylor was the busier, if not more effective fighter, throughout. He continually worked the jab but more-often-than-not failed to penetrate his opponent's solid defence. For his busy work ethic, and Abraham's predictable slow start, the early rounds went to the American. However, like a thoroughbred putting on a burst of pace, Abraham began to come on strong in the middle of the bout. He improved his punch output and menaced Taylor with his awesome power.

By the eighth it was clear he had taken control. The Armenian was setting the tempo and his punches found their home more consistently than his opponent. Still, Taylor was admirably hanging in there, doing his utmost to stay in contention, hoping-against-hope he could snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Alas, the boxing Gods had a crueller fate in store.

With the fat lady clearing her throat, readying herself to serenade the Teutonic spectators, it all fell apart for the man from Little Rock, Arkansas. A straight right flew through his guard connecting flush on the chin (something Taylor had been unable to achieve) and the fight was over, the finish eerily reminiscent of his bout against Carl Froch. The one important difference being that Taylor was losing this one.

Abraham is on the up-and-up. He is probably the most powerful in the tournament and his defence looks neigh on impregnable. This dark horse has stepped into the light in fine style. Despite the loss, Taylor has to see the positives in this. He performed commendably and his improved conditioning gave him a punchers chance of an upset before he was knocked-out. Of more significance is the fact that Taylor would be another washed-up, derided Jeff-Lacy-figure, struggling to find another pay-day, were it not for the further opportunities afforded by the Super Six. As it is, he has at least two guaranteed money-spinning bouts against top class opposition. Let's just hope his heart is still in it and he remains in the contest.

Super Six Results: Carl Froch vs Andre Dirrell

What the Froch was that?

Last Saturday's bout against Andre Dirrell will long live in the memory of Carl Froch as the most awkward and frustrating of his career. Despite claiming the win by split decision, the Nottingham bruiser will be aware this fight was a lot closer than he publicly acknowledged and far from convincing.

The opening rounds were a tentative, cagey battle of the jab. Dirrell scored with cleaner, more accurate shots while Froch was the aggressor, persistently hunting down his opponent, looking for the opening. By the end of the third, no meaningful exchange had occurred, despite Froch's efforts to force the trade off, and it was clear this wasn't going to be the explosive toe-to-toe war the Nottingham fans had hoped for. Nor was it to liking of Froch's girlfriend, Rachel Cordingly, sitting ringside in an orange figure-hugging ensemble, who was heard on camera clearly opining of the American: "he's fighting like a faggot!" Nice.

Froch continued to pour forward, leading with jabs and hooks, many of which were successfully countered by Dirrell. He knew he had to get on the inside to bring the pain but the American continually clinched to prevent him, much to ire of the partisan crowd. The Nottingham boxer was no angel either; roughing up Dirrell during clinches and hitting him on the back of the head. In one memorable incident in the fifth, Froch slammed him to the canvas, which drew a big roar from his fans, but in reality it was a clear sign of frustration.

As the fight progressed into the later rounds, we saw the best and worst of Dirrell. His hand speed, agility and footwork were a joy to behold. For large swathes of the fight, Froch couldn't score a clean shot and he was made to look lead-footed and clumsy. But all of this was largely overshadowed by the American's persistent holding, complaining and running. Every time Froch got close he smothered him and clung for dear life or else bent straight over, like he was desperately searching for a dropped quid, leaving Froch with no option but to hit him on the back of the head.

By the tenth, the Panamanian Referee had had enough and Dirrell was penalised a point for his persistent holding. The deduction was deserved but Froch can count himself lucky not to have also been penalised for his rough-house infractions. Finally the fight progressed from the cat-and-mouse snoozefest with Dirrell actually planting his feet to unload a few combos.

Most analysts were in agreement that Froch would dominate in a square-go but, surprisingly, he didn't have it all his own way once the fight opened up a little. Of the last four rounds I gave nine and 12 to Forch, with Dirrell taking ten and 11. Indeed, in the closing seconds of the tenth, a big left hook rocked Froch and his legs buckled momentarily. Dirrell closed in swinging wildly; more in hope than expectation, but Froch took a moment to clear his head while in a defensive posture then came out swinging and the American was backing off once more.

Dirrell's grandfather and trainer, Leon Lawson Sr, sent his grandson into the 12th with the brief of knocking Froch out ("You ain't gonna get a decision here!") but that never looked likely. The American was in uncharted territory having never previously ventured past the tenth and, with one aggressive thrust of jabs and hooks excepted, it was Froch who had the better of the round. Fittingly, Dirrell was pinned to ropes, weaving and frustrating his opponent, as the final bell rang out.

Robert McCracken, Froch's trainer, was heard informing his man that the fight was theirs but the crowd didn't seem as confident and it was a nervy wait for the decision. There were audible gasps when Jimmy Lennon Jr, giving it his usual film voiceover shtick, announced a split decision. In the event, the home crowd needn't have worried; their man got the nod. The judges’ cards reading 114-113 Dirrell, 115-112 Froch and 115-112 Froch.

In the end Dirrell's tactics cost him. You cannot win a decision as a challenger in a title bout by running, clinching, falling over and complaining - spoiling the fight, essentially. Throughout he was only prepared to go toe-to-toe with Froch once and that was when he thought the champ was hurt. Ironically Dirrell out-punched his opponent but this wasn't the Olympics and the judges looked unfavourably on his negativity. If he had frustrated less and demonstrated more aggression he could have won the decision but to do that he would have had to risk getting knocked out and he was obviously not prepared to do so.

For my money, Froch deserved the win. He didn't look convincing but he was willing to put his belt on the line and have a war. It takes two-to-tango and Dirrell was having none of it. Many people lauded his ability to evade punches and land the unseen counter but I'm not one of them. This wasn't Floyd Mayweather Jr or Sugar Ray Leonard - this was a boxer who came to steal a title in the most cynical manner possible and the only reason I will watch him again is in the hope that some proper bombs actually hit him next time.

Super Six: October 17th

The Super Six begins this weekend. Six top Super-Middleweights will contest the tournament - Mikkel Kessler, Carl Froch, Arthur Abraham, Jermain Taylor, Andre Dirrell and Andre Ward. That is three Europeans Vs. three Americans in case you hadn't noticed. Although, this is no boxing Ryder Cup - each man fights for personal glory (and a shit-load of cash).

The series will take a modified round-robin format. Each fighter will engage in three bouts, with the four highest point scorers contesting the semi-final. Fighters will earn three points for a KO, two points for a decision win and one point for a draw. The semi-final will be single-elimination. The Super Six is an intriguing contest and the organisers should be applauded for getting such a good mix of renowned fighters and up-and-comers on board. Although, it's a shame Kelly Pavlik isn't involved - they could have made it the Super 8 and thrown in Paul Williams to boot.

Unfortunately boxing doesn't readily lend itself to extended tournaments and accordingly there are some issues with the format. For example, I don't think it is fair that Andre Dirrell has to face world champion, and Nottingham's favourite son, Carl Froch in his backyard or that Jermain Taylor should fight Arthur Abraham in Berlin. In the interests of fairness each bout should be contested in neutral venues, but screw egalitarianism, the money men realise these established fighters will bring in the most cash in their home towns, so that's where they will fight.

Secondly, the opening round sees each boxer fight three opponents, meaning there will be two contestants that each boxer has avoided and it will vary from man-to-man. This cannot be described as fair - each boxer should have fought all contestants by the end of round one. Is it too much to ask for a boxer to take on five fights in a year and a bit? Possibly. I can see why organisers have decided against it but there is no escaping how unbalanced the Super Six is.

That said, it still promises to be a cracking tournament so here are my opening predictions.

Arthur Abraham vs. Jermain Taylor

I'm really looking forward to this one, the brawler versus the technician. Abraham might not be pretty to watch but you could never accuse him of failing to excite the punters. He occasionally jabs but on the whole he throws savage but wreckless hooks and uppercuts, which often miss his opponent (it's funny to watch the momentum of these bombs causing him to stagger a couple of steps after he throws). When he is not trying to take opponents heads clean off their shoulders he reverts to a crude, yet effective, defence reminiscent of Mickey Ward, where he places his gloves in front of his head like pillars of stone and uses his elbows to block the body while backing off towards the ropes. Perhaps Abraham's biggest attribute is his heart. This guy famously fought eight rounds with a broken jaw against Edison Miranda.

Taylor is by far the better artisan. Unlike Abraham he can be fleet of foot, knows how to move his head, and can slip punches. He can also build an effective offence around his jab. However, as we saw against Froch, he can also get dragged into brawls and this will suit the Armenian more. There are also big question marks over his mental strength and physical conditioning. I mean, how much does he still want to be in the fight game?

For Taylor to win he will have to be in peak condition, avoid Abraham's haymakers and pound the Armenian when he is in his defensive posture. Most of these shots will not connect cleanly but incrementally, over the course of the fight, they will wear Abraham out. In the later rounds, Taylor may get an opening for a knockout. If not, he will have to hope the judges give a fair reflecion of his superior boxing skills.

Unfortunately for 'Bad Intentions', I don't think it will pan out like this. It is possible that an Abraham bomb will KO him in the early rounds but more likely, I suspect, is that Taylor's notorious poor conditioning will play a big part in the later rounds. I predict that despite being up on the cards, a big Abraham punch will rock the American and send him to the canvas. After taking the eight count, the ref will stop the fight after a big Teutonic onslaught. Although it wouldn't surprise me if Abraham knocks him clean out either.

Prediction: Abraham win by TKO late in the fight.


Carl Froch vs. Andre Dirrell

The Super Six may finally bring Froch the attention and acclaim he clearly craves. If Kessler doesn't claim the crown, then I think Froch will. Like Abraham his technique will not win him any prizes but he is a relentless pressure fighter and less skilled opponents simply cave under his ferocious attacks. Dirrell will have to utilize his superior speed and boxing ability to rack up the points. Froch will eat a lot of leather in this fight and his cocky style of leaving his gloves low will not help him but he is the sort of boxer who will take two punches to throw one. Dirrell has the fast hands but I don't think he has the power to knock him out. After all Pascal and Taylor threw everything they had at Froch but still couldn't pull it off. Dirrell has never stepped up and fought an opponent of the Englishman's calibre and I think this will be significant. There's an outside chance he may win a points decision but I think Froch will have too much for him. The American has never lost, so it's very difficult to call, but I'm going with a win for 'The Cobra' by KO.

Prediction: Froch win by KO.