Why are people so critical of Haye's performance against Wlad?

[IMDAZED]

Yes but tried to deliver, I am assuming that most of the people that post here have more than just a passing interest in the sport, if you know your stuff you should have known what to expect, how many other fighters sell fights and don't perform? Why is Haye subject to special treatment?

I think that's why the performance gets crapped on but I really credit Adam Booth with the fight strategy. Very well thought-out. And you really have to give credit to Wladimir, he is simply great. Just great.

[Dirk Diggler UK]

Yes Adam Booth's master game plans of running and throwing as few punches as possible and hope to nick a decision.

Sheer genius.

[Joe2608]

A lot of people hate him because he talked the talk but didn't walk the walk. I'm a fan of Haye but i felt ripped off after the Wlad fight as it looked like he went in there to survive 12 rounds rather than try and take Wlad's title.
It was frustrating to watch, yes i know what his game plan was but he should have realised that it wasn't working and he refused to change until the final round where it was too late.

Since he's been a heavyweight he has been a very defensive pure counter puncher, in fact even in the Enzo fight at Cruiserweight he was like that so obviously that's what i expected him to fight like, but i didn't expect him to think he was that good where he could knock Wlad out with 1 punch. He was looking for that 1 punch all night and he was never going to knock him out with 1 punch. I also think he underestimated Wlad's speed, he thought he would be faster but Wlad matched him for speed and i don't think he expected that.

All in all it was a disappointing performance, add that to the fact he made excuses after the fight and his fake retirement bollocks and that's why people don't like him.
As a big Haye fan who has watched his whole career even i don't give him much credit for staying in with Wlad for 12 rounds. I'd rather he tried harder and put it all on the line considering he announced it was his last fight beforehand even if it meant he got stopped himself, at least then he could say he tried to the best of his ability.

This stuff about him fighting Vitali doesn't bother me too much, he has a better chance against him than Wlad but at the same time can you seriously see Haye stopping Vitali considering he will fight exactly the same as he did in the Wlad fight and considering Vitali has one of the best chins in boxing?!

[IronDanHamza]

I think that's why the performance gets crapped on but I really credit Adam Booth with the fight strategy. Very well thought-out. And you really have to give credit to Wladimir, he is simply great. Just great.

I thought the gameplan was pretty poor to be honest.

David Haye is never going to beat Wlad like that.

[sunny31]

Yup. Because it set up Merchant perfectly for his "flop house" one liner.

In terms of Ibragimov I thought he was negative but I was disppointed with Wlad. It was his chance to shine at MSG and he blew it. That was my reaction. All I could think was if that was Vitali or Lennox Ibragimov would have got destroyed. I have learned to accept Wlad for what he is, he is more crowd pleasing now anyway, his confidence is higher and he is a better fighter.

[Dirk Diggler UK]

I want to know what the game plan actually was....?

[IMDAZED]

I thought the gameplan was pretty poor to be honest.

David Haye is never going to beat Wlad like that.

Actually, as one-sided as the fight was, the rounds were very, very competitive. I thought the plan was excellent. Haye just didn't have as big a balls as he likes to think he has. If he DID...and threw just a few more rights he could've won.

[IronDanHamza]

Actually, as one-sided as the fight was, the rounds were very, very competitive. I thought the plan was excellent. Haye just didn't have as big a balls as he likes to think he has. If he DID...and threw just a few more rights he could've won.

I didn't consider the rounds competitive.

They weren't dominant but I don't consider them competitive either.

Haye retreating constantly and throwing one punch a time and usuallly missing I don't consider competitive. I haven't seen the punch stats but I imagine Wlad outlanded him in every single round, more or less.

I said before the fight and after that if Haye thinks he can fight like that and beat Wlad he's delusional.

There is simply no way, outside of a good shot that stops him, that Haye can beat Wladimir Klitschko fighting at his pace.

One punch at a time is never going to work for him.

[Dirk Diggler UK]

Yeah, "a few more rights" was all that was missing

[IMDAZED]

I didn't consider the rounds competitive.

They weren't dominant but I don't consider them competitive either.

Haye retreating constantly and throwing one punch a time and usuallly missing I don't consider competitive. I haven't seen the punch stats but I imagine Wlad outlanded him in every single round, more or less.

I said before the fight and after that if Haye thinks he can fight like that and beat Wlad he's delusional.

There is simply no way, outside of a good shot that stops him, that Haye can beat Wladimir Klitschko fighting at his pace.

One punch at a time is never going to work for him.

Well that was the problem. He didn't throw enough at all. I don't think that was the plan. Everything else he did was on point. He offset Wlad's offense, had solid head movement, circled the ring well (didn't run as some have said here). He just didn't throw enough. And I thought the rounds were pretty competitive with a one or two punch swing carrying the day. I confess I watched the fight several times, intrigued by the chess match.