Tweet
From Steanta:
MOTIVATION
This is THE fight for Enzo Maccarinelli. A fight he has waited the best part of a decade for. He has no grand ambitions of conquering the heavyweight division and even if he does unify the cruiserweight division after Haye moves up, defeat here will taint his career and legacy. Haye seems to underestimate Maccarinelli. He firmly believes he is not in his class and just sees the fight as a huge payday and an event that will make him the big boxing superstar that his exciting style and charisma suggests he should be, before setting about winning a heavyweight title.
FITNESS
It is likely that Maccarinelli was fitter four weeks ago than Haye will be on fight night. He is ready to fight for three minutes a round. Haye likes to fight at his own pace, keeping the fight at long range with sporadic aggressive bursts enabling him to unleash his massive right hand. In the last fight Adam Booth was heard in the corner saying to Haye: "Good work, 24 punches in the round." Maccarinelli may punch three times as often. Haye has never and is unlikely to ever again face an opponent as fit as Maccarinelli and will not be able to take prolonged rests during rounds. Often larger fighters make life hard for their opponent by leaning on them and bullying them around - this is not the Bermondsey fighter's game, so the weight disadvantage on the night should not affect Maccarinelli.
HAYE'S WEIGHT PROBLEMS
Haye's problems making the weight are known to all. Straight after the Jean-Marc Mormeck victory he said making the weight gave him a weak chin. He has since reneged on this and said he was just caught by a great shot. Whether you believe his revisionist version of events or not, it is difficult to see him being able to find another gear in the second half of the fight if he does not destroy his opponent early.
BETTER CHIN
Although Frank Warren and Enzo Calzaghe may argue otherwise, most would agree that David Haye is the harder puncher. Danny Williams, who has sparred with Haye, says after Vitali Klitschko and Mike Tyson no opponent has hit him harder - which speaks volumes. Although Maccarinelli was stopped early in his career by Lee Swaby, of late his chin has looked far less vulnerable than Haye's. In the heavyweight division Haye may be able to protect his chin more with his extra foot speed, with Maccarinelli this is unlikely to be the case and it seems inconceivable that the Welshman will not catch him flush by the mid-point of the fight, if the Hayemaker has not called a halt to matters already.
ADAPTABILITY
Like all Enzo Calzaghe's fighters, Maccarinelli will not just be supremely fit on fight night but also capable of changing his plans during the fight if he does not find Haye's chin easy to hit early on. It is possible to see Maccarinelli outworking Haye while keeping his defence tight and waiting for Haye to fade in the second half of the bout. He is also capable of finishing opponents with either hand.
WRONG OPPONENT, WRONG TIME
Haye's ability is clear to anyone who has seen him. Out of the two of them he is the special one who could become a massive star and, feasibly in the current predicament, win a world heavyweight title. If the fight was at a catch-weight of 210lbs, it is likely that the poll on the setantasports.com website would be nearer 80-20 in Haye's favour than 56-44 (at time of writing). That said, weight-drained, underestimating a very dangerous opponent and desperate to win over fans with a spectacular win, this seems the time to back against him.
This is THE fight for Enzo Maccarinelli. A fight he has waited the best part of a decade for. He has no grand ambitions of conquering the heavyweight division and even if he does unify the cruiserweight division after Haye moves up, defeat here will taint his career and legacy. Haye seems to underestimate Maccarinelli. He firmly believes he is not in his class and just sees the fight as a huge payday and an event that will make him the big boxing superstar that his exciting style and charisma suggests he should be, before setting about winning a heavyweight title.
FITNESS
It is likely that Maccarinelli was fitter four weeks ago than Haye will be on fight night. He is ready to fight for three minutes a round. Haye likes to fight at his own pace, keeping the fight at long range with sporadic aggressive bursts enabling him to unleash his massive right hand. In the last fight Adam Booth was heard in the corner saying to Haye: "Good work, 24 punches in the round." Maccarinelli may punch three times as often. Haye has never and is unlikely to ever again face an opponent as fit as Maccarinelli and will not be able to take prolonged rests during rounds. Often larger fighters make life hard for their opponent by leaning on them and bullying them around - this is not the Bermondsey fighter's game, so the weight disadvantage on the night should not affect Maccarinelli.
HAYE'S WEIGHT PROBLEMS
Haye's problems making the weight are known to all. Straight after the Jean-Marc Mormeck victory he said making the weight gave him a weak chin. He has since reneged on this and said he was just caught by a great shot. Whether you believe his revisionist version of events or not, it is difficult to see him being able to find another gear in the second half of the fight if he does not destroy his opponent early.
BETTER CHIN
Although Frank Warren and Enzo Calzaghe may argue otherwise, most would agree that David Haye is the harder puncher. Danny Williams, who has sparred with Haye, says after Vitali Klitschko and Mike Tyson no opponent has hit him harder - which speaks volumes. Although Maccarinelli was stopped early in his career by Lee Swaby, of late his chin has looked far less vulnerable than Haye's. In the heavyweight division Haye may be able to protect his chin more with his extra foot speed, with Maccarinelli this is unlikely to be the case and it seems inconceivable that the Welshman will not catch him flush by the mid-point of the fight, if the Hayemaker has not called a halt to matters already.
ADAPTABILITY
Like all Enzo Calzaghe's fighters, Maccarinelli will not just be supremely fit on fight night but also capable of changing his plans during the fight if he does not find Haye's chin easy to hit early on. It is possible to see Maccarinelli outworking Haye while keeping his defence tight and waiting for Haye to fade in the second half of the bout. He is also capable of finishing opponents with either hand.
WRONG OPPONENT, WRONG TIME
Haye's ability is clear to anyone who has seen him. Out of the two of them he is the special one who could become a massive star and, feasibly in the current predicament, win a world heavyweight title. If the fight was at a catch-weight of 210lbs, it is likely that the poll on the setantasports.com website would be nearer 80-20 in Haye's favour than 56-44 (at time of writing). That said, weight-drained, underestimating a very dangerous opponent and desperate to win over fans with a spectacular win, this seems the time to back against him.