By Chris LaBate
Ricky Hatton doesn't want anyone to blame David Haye for the lackluster fight with Audley Harrison. Hatton places the full blame on Harrison. It was hyped to be a war between two British rivals, but Haye crushed Harrison in three rounds to retain his WBA heavyweight title at the MEN Arena in Manchester on Saturday night.
Hatton has no sympathy for Harrison. He says the former Olympian did nothing in the fight, even though he had numerous physical advantages. He says Audley never used his long left jab or his right cross. He set himself up for a loss because there was nothing in the fight for Haye to worry about. Hatton doesn't want Haye to take the heat for doing what he needed to do in the ring.
"From Audley's point of view he's got the height advantage, he's a southpaw, he's got the size but he just gave him nothing to worry about," Hatton said. "Lennox Lewis will tell you if you're fighting someone smaller than you the first thing you want to do is give them a stiff left jab and a stiff right cross to stop them coming at you and Audley didn't give David anything to worry about."
"I don't want to kick Audley when he's down but he said all the right things, he got this chance when he didn't think it was going to become available, he's got a smaller man in front of him, but you've got to put a jab on him, drill it in. You can still ease into the fight, but you've got to give the opponent something to worry about. He had to make David Haye weary very time he was coming in - but he didn't. I don't think you can point the finger too much at David. He's giving away height, reach, weight against a southpaw, so he had to ease into it."
