Tweet
WLAD'S GIFT OF THE JAB
CLINTON SAYS: They don’t call him 'Dr Steelhammer' for nothing. Klitschko’s left jab is his most powerful weapon. He rockets it out straight, hard and fast. It’s the punch that can hurt Haye the most.
Klitschko doesn’t paw or hit at his target with the jab, he aims to smash it through the face of his opponent (see below).
He’s beaten big ’uns before - Nikolai Valuev and Audley Harrison - but neither of them were good ’uns.
Haye needs to avoid all his focus being on knocking the Ukrainian out. If he goes out throwing big punches and trying to land his Hayemaker he’ll be in danger of punching himself out.
Klitschko is too good a boxer to leave his chin out for those shots. I believe Haye needs to give himself another 12 to 18 months to develop into a true heavyweight - Klitschko is already there.
But Haye may surprise me; no-one really knows what goes on in the dead of night in trainer Adam Booth’s gym. They may have put together a strategy which will see Haye grab Klitschko’s four belts. I really hope they have.
BODY BLOW
CLINTON SAYS: Haye's lightning quick hands can exploit any opening by landing stinging body shots on Klitschko.
Working the body tires an opponent and Klitschko has previously been prone to flagging in the middle-to-later rounds. Haye can bring about exhaustion earlier with those strikes to the ab
If I were in Haye’s corner, I’d challenge him to fly out of the blocks, throwing punches from the first bell to try to tire Klitschko early. Klitschko will weather that storm with his strong, defensive style and, at that stage, Haye needs to get back to his basics - jab and tuck up.
Klitschko is very basic, but very good at what he does - the left-hand jab, right-cross combinations. But he does get tired in the middle rounds; he’s shown that in previous fights.
That’s when Haye should go back on the attack. Klitschko is not as elusive as Haye, he doesn’t bob and weave but he does move in and out.
HAYE MUST GO LOW
CLINTON SAYS: As bizarre as it may sound, Haye can unsettle his taller opponent - he’s giving away four inches to Klitschko - by squatting down to open up the Ukrainian.
Klitschko is so tight and solid in defence that Haye can look for openings below his opponent’s elbows. This has the added advantage of taking the sting out of Klitschko’s punching; once he has to punch down below his waist any boxer’s firepower is vastly diminished.
Haye can hurt him on the inside by working his body. Haye has real power in his body shots and good combinations there can bring the bigger man into his range for a trademark Hayemaker or another of his big punches, the left hook.
Haye must not underestimate Klitschko. He must avoid the home fighter’s jab - it has real force and can hurt any boxer. Klitschko is the master of the jab and I fear that’s the punch that will catch Haye out.
There won’t be much blood as neither man cuts easily. It’ll be tight, it’ll be good. Don’t expect a slugfest, expect an exhibition.
BIG FIGHT VERDICT: My heart says Haye. But my head says Klitschko by late stoppage - in Round 10 or 11.
Comment