[quote=BBC SPORTS]Britain's David Haye put on a magnificent performance to claim the WBA heavyweight crown from Russian Nikolay Valuev in Nuremberg.
Haye, 29, won by majority decision, winning the fight on two judges' scorecards, with the other judge scoring it even.
The Londoner, giving away seven stone to his 7ft opponent, fought the perfect fight, staying on the move and making the lumbering Valuev look every one of his 36 years with his speed.
With his win, the Londoner becomes the first Briton to hold a world heavyweight crown since Lennox Lewis retired in 2003.
In addition, Haye is also only the second former cruiserweight champion to win a portion of the heavyweight crown, after four-time champion Evander Holyfield.
"It means everything to me," said Haye. "From when I was a baby, I said I would be the heavyweight world champion.
"It's a dream come true. I've fought the biggest heavyweight champion and caught him with big shots.
"I made him look like an amateur. People doubted my skills, but I did enough to win.
"Here I am, heavyweight champion of the world and I'm loving it. I'm going to clean up the division."
Approximately 10,000 fans were in attendance at the Nuremberg Arena, including a sizable and vociferous British contingent, to see David do what many thought was impossible and slay Goliath.
Even more remarkable, Haye managed to do it with a suspected broken right hand, which trainer Adam Booth said gave way in the third round.
"His head is solid, the hardest thing I've ever hit," said Haye. "It's like hitting a solid brick wall.
"I'm pretty sure my hand is broken, but it's a small price to pay for being the heavyweight champion of the world."
The first round was largely a fact-finding mission for Haye, circling anti-clockwise away from Valuev's big right and scoring with the occasional flurry to the head and jab to the body.
An immaculate-looking Haye visibly grew in confidence in the second stanza, landing with two sharp left hooks and a stinging left-right combination that forced Valuev to cover up.
Valuev landed with his first meaningful blow at the end of the round, a ramrod jab, but it was more of the same in the third, with Haye having little problem slipping Valuev's left hand and scoring with flashing lefts of his own.
Haye had made Valuev look decidedly sluggish and one-dimensional in the first quarter of the contest. Even though the Russian showed more urgency in the fourth, the Englishman was able to extricate himself from any potential trouble.
With both hands now slung by his waist, once again he had the better of the action, landing with a couple of left-right-left combinations and skimming Valuev's jaw with a huge right hand on the bell.
Haye found the mark with a left-right-right combination in round five, and it was becoming abundantly clear as the fight wore on that unless he was to tire down the stretch, the title could be his.
Valuev managed to pin Haye in a corner and unload with two clubbing blows to the body at the start of round six, but Haye hit back with a hurtful upper-cut and a big over-the-top right.
There were signs that Haye was beginning to tire in the seventh, but he came storming back in the eighth, stiffening Valuev up with a rigid jab before landing with a rasping right to the body.
The ninth was close until Haye unloaded with perhaps the best combination of the night, a left jab followed closely by a right straight down the pipe and Haye landed with two more right-hand bombs in the 10th as Valuev began to look desperate.
With Haye's staying power questioned in the past, the last two rounds, if it got that far, were always going to be tense, but Haye continued to move in round 11, leaving Valuev needing a knockout to win it in the final stanza.
In the final round, Haye almost achieved the impossible, very nearly flooring Valuev with yet another vicious left-right combination with a minute to go. Valuev regained his balance, but Haye continued to pepper the Russian until the final bell sounded.
"From my point of view, the main thing which went wrong was the pace," said Valuev.
"It was like a marathon for me. It was like a track event. I wasn't ready to run that much.
"The judges made their decision and I think the last round made the difference, especially the end of it."
Haye, who was awarded the fight 116-112, 116-112, 114-114, is only the third Briton to win a world heavyweight title since Bob Fitzsimmons lost his crown to James J Jeffries in 1899.
His victory also injects some much-needed vim into a previously moribund heavyweight division.
With 23 wins (21 KOs) from 24 fights, Haye now says he intends to clean up the heavyweight division.
That would mean defeating WBC champion Vitali Klitschko and his brother IBF and WBO holder Wladimir Klitschko.
But his first defence of the WBA belt will likely come against American John Ruiz, who earlier on Saturday beat German Adnan Serin in the seventh round by a technical knockout.
Haye said he envisages few problems against the former WBA champion.
"I don't think he is the most entertaining. He has won the world title before and you don't do that by being a bad fighter," he added. "I will be way too fast, I will knock him out." [/quote]
To be honest with you I never new he had it in him to last that long.
Pics:
[img]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46423000/jpg/_46423526_beer766.jpg[/img]
Height difference
[img]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46684000/jpg/_46684833_curv_766.jpg[/img]
[i]"I am very happy!"[/i]
[img]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46689000/jpg/_46689124_haye7.jpg[/img]
[i]"Luckily I already don't remember this..."[/i]
[img]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46689000/jpg/_46689089_haye5.jpg[/img]
Valuev's stuffing starts to come out
[img]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46689000/jpg/_46689251_hayebeltafp766.jpg[/img]
Haye holds his heroic belt.
It's just like something out of that big book thing.
He's like a bear! a big, unshaved bear that hates the british!
holy shit, I honestly though Nikolay would have pummled fuck out of david
He's a caveman
[img]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46684000/jpg/_46684833_curv_766.jpg[/img]
his face looks rendered.
Demoman vs heavy.
:dance:
Oh dear I just realised i'm late.
I wanted the big guy to win, but then I realised the other guy was british and I started supporting him :britain:
[img]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46684000/jpg/_46684833_curv_766.jpg[/img]
[I]I am heavy weapons guy.[/I]
Holy shit, amazing he didn't get knocked out in one blow by the russian..
Let's see him take [I]this[/I] russian.
[img]http://l.yimg.com/eb/ymv/us/img/hv/photo/movie_pix/artisan_entertainment/the_punisher/kevin_nash/punisher.jpg[/img]
He so didn't deserve to win. Champions don't dance around for 12 rounds and win on points.
[QUOTE=garry;18260062]He so didn't deserve to win. Champions don't dance around for 12 rounds and win on points.[/QUOTE]
To be honest, it's the only thing he could do (as the commentators mentioned around 400 times).
If he went in to trade, Valuev would have knocked his block off.
[QUOTE=garry;18260062]He so didn't deserve to win. Champions don't dance around for 12 rounds and win on points.[/QUOTE]
I actually disagree with this. Although it's not an "honorable" strategy, it's not like he could have won unless a miracle occurred. I'd much rather win dishonorably than lose and get the shit beat out of me.
You don't disagree with garry, dumkopf.
[QUOTE=garry;18260062]He so didn't deserve to win. Champions don't dance around for 12 rounds and win on points.[/QUOTE]
Sadly the use of slings was abolished in 1956, so him floating about was his only real chance of winning.
Haye was so damn disrespectful, not once did he even go up to Valuev after the fight and give him a handshake or anything, stupid prick.
Also anyone noticed how Valuev looks just like Sagat? Coincidence?
[QUOTE=Ishmael12;18260811][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FgJpTJb6uw[/media][/QUOTE]
The Russian is too small.
You mean, one boxer who is tall beats another boxer who is smaller in stature.
A BLACK BRITISH GUY?
:crossarms:
[QUOTE=evilweazel;18260948]A BLACK BRITISH GUY?
:crossarms:[/QUOTE]
Yeah I know what you mean
I wonder how their accent sounds like
[QUOTE=Sh33p;18260893]You mean, one boxer who is tall beats another boxer who is smaller in stature.[/QUOTE]
Erm no, as Haye is the smaller one.
[editline]04:15PM[/editline]
[QUOTE=Epidemick;18260961]Yeah I know what you mean
I wonder how their accent sounds like[/QUOTE]
British maybe? Or because he's black does he have to have a different accent
Jeez black British people aren't exactly rare
It's like the Bible story, only this time David won! :downs:
[QUOTE=garry;18260062]He so didn't deserve to win. Champions don't dance around for 12 rounds and win on points.[/QUOTE]
Oh no he used valid tactics to win he shouldn't be champ for that, he should've just increased his size somehow :rolleyes:
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