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Saturday's heavyweight matchup between seven-foot, WBA champ, Nikolay Valuev, and six-foot-three challenger, David Haye, in Germany has the proverbial makings of a "David vs. Goliath" matchup.
Valuev (50-1, 34 knockouts) weighed more than 310 pounds for his last fight in December, compared to 215 for Haye, a rising cruiserweight (200 pounds).
Check out the results (below) of a poll taken from some of boxing's most expert sources for their rationales on just which fighter will emerge victorious.
Bob Canobbio, CompuBoxInc.
Nikolay Valuev by unanimous decision: Valuev can't break wind, but hits hard enough and has an efficient enough of a jab to keep the weak-chinned and size-challenged David Haye at bay.
Steve Farhood, Showtime boxing analyst
David Haye by decision: I like Haye to win on points. He's quick enough to fight the right kind of fight to beat the giant -- in-and-out, score and escape, and give Valuev nothing to hit.
Doug Fisher, Managing Editor of Ring Magazine.com
Nikolay Valuev by 10th-round knockout: I'm going with the giant, but I'll say this about David Haye, I like his attitude, and he goes in there looking to knock guys out. But he has a lot of flaws.
I think he's aptly named -- his nickname is "The Hayemaker," and that's what he does. He throws haymakers, and not crisp, straight power-shots, and he doesn't bother to set them up. The reason I'm going to go with Valuev: I'm impressed with is his balance for a man that big. He has a sound foundation, which is probably why we've never seen him on the deck.
I don't think that David Haye has the footwork or the mentality to box a disciplined fight for 12 rounds. His ego is such that he wants to see the big man come crashing down, and I think it's going to cost him.
David Haye might make things really fun early on, and could have the giant teetering and tottering early. But I think that the giant will survive those early round fireworks, and get his momentum going in the middle rounds.
I question David Haye's stamina, his ability to fight or box for 12 rounds, but I know that the Giant can do it. So I think that the Giant comes on and stops him late, say, in the 10th round
Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports.com
David Haye TKO five rounds: The reason that I like David Haye is that I just think that Valuev is very slow and lumbering. And David Haye actually has power and pretty good quickness.
The longer it goes, the more I would favor Valuev. Though I think that David Haye will be able to catch Valuev somewhere in the early part of the fight.
Jim Lampley, HBO boxing color commentator
Nikolay Valuev by decision: I would love to pick David Haye, because that's what's more interesting for the sport, and, in particular, for American audiences. But I have yet to see any evidence that Valuev is going to lose a decision in Europe.
Valuev is kind of a 323-pound Floyd Mayweather in that he fights in a defensive style, and his first priority is to shut the opponent down. He does a good job of it. It's very hard to beat defensively-oriented fighter who is bigger than you.
I remember Monte Barrett throwing himself against this guy like a mouse throwing himself against a rock wall, and it just didnt' get him anywhere, and Haye is no bigger than Barrett. So at the end of the day, as interesting would be to see Haye win, I expect a decision win for Valuev.
Robert Morales, Los Angeles Daily News
David Haye by unanimous decision: I'm picking David Haye in this fight against Valuev, and the reason being is that I just think that David Haye is obviously a much more polished, overall boxer.
I just think that with his cat-like quickness and that kind of thing, I think he's going to land more punches on Valuev. And I don't think that Valuev is going to have an easy time connecting with anything clean.
If David Haye is smart, he'll just out-box the dude, and Valuev will have a hard time touching him. I don't think that Haye can knock him out, but I just think he'll win on points.
Rob Murray, trainer for heavyweight contender "Fast" Eddie Chambers
Nikolay Valuev by 10th-round knockout: My pick will be Valuev. On paper, David Haye looks to be faster, but I've never seen him do the things that he's saying he's going to do. I've never seen him go a steady 12 rounds. And his talking doesn't win fights.
Valuev, meanwhile, has been in with John Ruiz and Evander Holyfield and the guys who have been there. Holyfield is an older, durable fighter who was able to get in there and do the things that David Haye is saying that he' going to do. But again, I've never seen Haye do any of those things.
So Haye should slow down just from running, and doing the things that he believes that he can do. And then, at that point, I see Valuev stopping him late, by like the 10th round.
Joe Santoliquito, Managing Editor, Ring Magazine
David Haye by sixth-round knockout: I think everybody's probably picking Haye, and I'm going to pick Haye too. But I'm going to pick Haye to stop Valuev. I think I'm going to go with a KO in six.
I think that Haye has the kind of firepower that can hurt Valuev. And I don't think that Valuev can get to him, I really don't. With his size, and what he brings -- there's no athleticism and no speed there. I really don't think that Valuev can get close to him.
Michael David Smith, FanHouse.com
David Haye by 11th-round TKO: Nikolay Valuev is accustomed to fighting opponents who are close to a foot shorter and 100 pounds lighter than him, but he's not accustomed to fighting opponents who have David Haye's combination of speed and punching power.
I see Haye taking the fight to Valuev and beating him by TKO in the 11th round.
Tim Smith, New York Daily News
Nikolay Valuev by decision: I'm going to take Valuev in this fight because I just think that the physics of this fight are all wrong for David Haye. He's just turned into a heavyweight, and he's a small heavyweight, not even a big guy.
I'm thinking that the size factor might be the big problem, even though Valuev is slower. But I think that he's just too big and too much for David Haye to fight off at this point in his heavyweight career. I think Valuev will take it in a decision.
boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/boxing-experts-predict-valuev-haye-fight/
Valuev (50-1, 34 knockouts) weighed more than 310 pounds for his last fight in December, compared to 215 for Haye, a rising cruiserweight (200 pounds).
Check out the results (below) of a poll taken from some of boxing's most expert sources for their rationales on just which fighter will emerge victorious.
Bob Canobbio, CompuBoxInc.
Nikolay Valuev by unanimous decision: Valuev can't break wind, but hits hard enough and has an efficient enough of a jab to keep the weak-chinned and size-challenged David Haye at bay.
Steve Farhood, Showtime boxing analyst
David Haye by decision: I like Haye to win on points. He's quick enough to fight the right kind of fight to beat the giant -- in-and-out, score and escape, and give Valuev nothing to hit.
Doug Fisher, Managing Editor of Ring Magazine.com
Nikolay Valuev by 10th-round knockout: I'm going with the giant, but I'll say this about David Haye, I like his attitude, and he goes in there looking to knock guys out. But he has a lot of flaws.
I think he's aptly named -- his nickname is "The Hayemaker," and that's what he does. He throws haymakers, and not crisp, straight power-shots, and he doesn't bother to set them up. The reason I'm going to go with Valuev: I'm impressed with is his balance for a man that big. He has a sound foundation, which is probably why we've never seen him on the deck.
I don't think that David Haye has the footwork or the mentality to box a disciplined fight for 12 rounds. His ego is such that he wants to see the big man come crashing down, and I think it's going to cost him.
David Haye might make things really fun early on, and could have the giant teetering and tottering early. But I think that the giant will survive those early round fireworks, and get his momentum going in the middle rounds.
I question David Haye's stamina, his ability to fight or box for 12 rounds, but I know that the Giant can do it. So I think that the Giant comes on and stops him late, say, in the 10th round
Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports.com
David Haye TKO five rounds: The reason that I like David Haye is that I just think that Valuev is very slow and lumbering. And David Haye actually has power and pretty good quickness.
The longer it goes, the more I would favor Valuev. Though I think that David Haye will be able to catch Valuev somewhere in the early part of the fight.
Jim Lampley, HBO boxing color commentator
Nikolay Valuev by decision: I would love to pick David Haye, because that's what's more interesting for the sport, and, in particular, for American audiences. But I have yet to see any evidence that Valuev is going to lose a decision in Europe.
Valuev is kind of a 323-pound Floyd Mayweather in that he fights in a defensive style, and his first priority is to shut the opponent down. He does a good job of it. It's very hard to beat defensively-oriented fighter who is bigger than you.
I remember Monte Barrett throwing himself against this guy like a mouse throwing himself against a rock wall, and it just didnt' get him anywhere, and Haye is no bigger than Barrett. So at the end of the day, as interesting would be to see Haye win, I expect a decision win for Valuev.
Robert Morales, Los Angeles Daily News
David Haye by unanimous decision: I'm picking David Haye in this fight against Valuev, and the reason being is that I just think that David Haye is obviously a much more polished, overall boxer.
I just think that with his cat-like quickness and that kind of thing, I think he's going to land more punches on Valuev. And I don't think that Valuev is going to have an easy time connecting with anything clean.
If David Haye is smart, he'll just out-box the dude, and Valuev will have a hard time touching him. I don't think that Haye can knock him out, but I just think he'll win on points.
Rob Murray, trainer for heavyweight contender "Fast" Eddie Chambers
Nikolay Valuev by 10th-round knockout: My pick will be Valuev. On paper, David Haye looks to be faster, but I've never seen him do the things that he's saying he's going to do. I've never seen him go a steady 12 rounds. And his talking doesn't win fights.
Valuev, meanwhile, has been in with John Ruiz and Evander Holyfield and the guys who have been there. Holyfield is an older, durable fighter who was able to get in there and do the things that David Haye is saying that he' going to do. But again, I've never seen Haye do any of those things.
So Haye should slow down just from running, and doing the things that he believes that he can do. And then, at that point, I see Valuev stopping him late, by like the 10th round.
Joe Santoliquito, Managing Editor, Ring Magazine
David Haye by sixth-round knockout: I think everybody's probably picking Haye, and I'm going to pick Haye too. But I'm going to pick Haye to stop Valuev. I think I'm going to go with a KO in six.
I think that Haye has the kind of firepower that can hurt Valuev. And I don't think that Valuev can get to him, I really don't. With his size, and what he brings -- there's no athleticism and no speed there. I really don't think that Valuev can get close to him.
Michael David Smith, FanHouse.com
David Haye by 11th-round TKO: Nikolay Valuev is accustomed to fighting opponents who are close to a foot shorter and 100 pounds lighter than him, but he's not accustomed to fighting opponents who have David Haye's combination of speed and punching power.
I see Haye taking the fight to Valuev and beating him by TKO in the 11th round.
Tim Smith, New York Daily News
Nikolay Valuev by decision: I'm going to take Valuev in this fight because I just think that the physics of this fight are all wrong for David Haye. He's just turned into a heavyweight, and he's a small heavyweight, not even a big guy.
I'm thinking that the size factor might be the big problem, even though Valuev is slower. But I think that he's just too big and too much for David Haye to fight off at this point in his heavyweight career. I think Valuev will take it in a decision.
boxing.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/boxing-experts-predict-valuev-haye-fight/
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