David Haye Slays the Giant and Captures World Heavyweight Crown

In a historic night in Nuremberg, Germany David Haye finally fulfilled his self perpetuated hype.

In what will most certainly go down in the pantheon of British boxing as one of the most accomplished performances ‘The Hayemaker’ slew 'The Giant' Nikolay Valuev and in doing so became Heavyweight champion of the world.

Haye was awarded the World Boxing Association heavyweight belt with a majority points decision—with 116-112 on two of the judges’ cards, with the third judge scoring it 114-114.

When the announcement of the Judges scores were made by Michael Buffer, Haye and his team exploded in unadulterated joy.

Haye was clearly humbled and proud of such a monumental achievement,"This is a dream come true for me, it is everything I have trained for and everything I have wished for since I was a little boy."

Not only does Haye become the first British fighter since Lennox Lewis to hold a version of boxing’s biggest prize and one of only five Britons to have ever done so in boxing’s alphabet years, but he overturned odds the like of which have never been done before.

When Ruslan Chagaev beat Valuev, he was 90lbs lighter; yet nobody has given away as much as the 98lbs, which Haye did and still, prevailed. To further add to the achievement in 51 previous fights no one has ever exposed Valuev so tellingly as tonight.

It may have been billed as the immovable object against the irresistible force.

By the end it turned out to be a case of the bewildered lumbering unit and the elusive pragmatist.

David Haye adopted the same hit and move—or be moved—approach that so many critics (this writer included) said would fail to prise the Heavyweight Championship from the giant waist of Valuev.

Yet the brash Brit got his tactics pinpoint accurate. He weaved and dodged, threw sporadically but with accuracy and bamboozled and frustrated Valuev all night long.

Even inducing the champions legs to a crazy dance in the final minute of the 12th round with a beautiful left-right combination, Haye was agonising close to being solely responsible for exposing Germans to a shattering thud that may have registered on the Richter Scale.

Not only did Haye achieve the seemingly impossible, he did so whilst dispelling a few myths.

Gone are the accusations that he didn’t have the required stamina to dance round Valuev for 12 rounds; shattered are the illusions that he has a glass jaw. When Valuev landed his punches-although meagerly, Haye seemed unfazed.

There will no doubt be disparaging remarks centred around negative tactics. But in facing such height and weight disparities surely this was the only way victory—and self-preservation—could be obtained.

Haye ultimately completed the toughest assignment of his life with distinct assuredness. Such a surety would have been much harder to discern from Haye’s body language before the first exchanges.

The magnitude of what he was attempting as the pair came nose to chin in the ring amid an authentic big fight buzz in the sell-out 8,000 arena was clearly evident.

Haye looked scarily diminutive next to the champion.

For the first time during fight week he looked anxious, refusing to look into the eyes of Valuev as they touched gloves.

The Londoner set his tone for the rest of the fight immediately from the first bell. Constantly being pressured by Valuev, he kept out of reach of the Russians' long rangy jabs. Occasionally beating the Giant to the punch.

This continued into the second round where Haye worked cautiously from distance yet offering the more effective work.

More eye-catching shots emanated from Haye in the third round. In bursts he threw an effective left hook and a right-left-right combination, which was greeted with a dismissive shake of the head from Valuev.

Rounds four through seven were devoid of aesthetically appealing action. Valuev perhaps edging them with Haye’s punch output declining.

The withering of such could be attributed to Haye’s revelations in a post fight interview.

‘I damaged my right hand in the second or third round and I tried to rein it in, the hand is very tender and very sore and that's why I used it irregularly. His head is like hitting a solid brick wall.’

Yet Haye’s confidence seemed to be growing and he became increasingly more willing to stand rather than run.

He was becoming aware of Valuev’s inability to make his plodding, predictable jab, jab assaults land anywhere near their intended target. Leading to Haye being more active and efficient in rounds eight and nine, including peach of a right in the eighth.

The championship rounds 10,11, and 12 seemed to bring the best out of Haye.

Most notably Round 12.

Haye remained elusive for most of the round until the final minute where he came into range and traded.

He nailed Valuev with two good head shots and for the first time in the Russian’s 53-fight career he was on the verge of collapse. His legs deserted him and he held on for dear life as Haye pursued the finish.

Valuev seemed resigned to his fate. Refusing to indulge in the seemingly obligatory trend in boxing to celebrate as the scores are collated—in a vain attempt that perhaps that will influence their decision.

Where he goes from here is less easy to predict.

Haye, on the other hand, seems to have the world at his feet.

His next opponent would seem to be mandatory challenger John Ruiz—who won his bout earlier in the night with a knockout of Turkish Adnan Serin.

This will surely be more exciting, but is merely an entrée for things far more appetising.

Haye’s ultimate goal lies with the dethroning of the two titanic Klitschko brothers from atop the Heavyweight throne.

In the event Haye achieves such lofty aspirations perhaps then the legend of David and his slaying of giants will become things of folklore.