In case you weren't aware, there's a big pay-per-view fight on telly tonight. But while boxing fans the world over will be staying up late to watch ring superstar Manny Pacquiao, British fans have been caught up in the hype surrounding the Haye vs Harrison knock-about in Manchester. And why not, it's a genuine all-British world title fight (albeit for the less respected WBA version of the heavyweight title) between two former friends who clearly despise each other. Look, you see, even I've bought into the hype. But back in September I called this fight a 'farce' and I stand by that. There's a very good reason the promo material for this fight keeps showing slow-motion footage of Harrison's crushing 12th round knockout of Michael Sprott; it's probably the only decent punch he's thrown in the last ten years. I exaggerate, but only slightly.
People forget that Harrison had probably lost every round up to that point and was staring, not for the first time, at boxing oblivion. But from somewhere he pulled out an absolute peach of a punch to set himself up for an unlikely shot at a heavyweight title.
Don't get me wrong, I don't blame David Haye for taking this fight. There's clearly plenty of public interest in seeing them get it on (motivated I suspect by a desire to see a perennial boxing bogeyman get his comeuppance) and Haye is due a big payday. The Klitschkos will still be there in a few months time and Haye knows, everyone knows, that he will have to fight them at some point. Why not pad out his 24-1 record against a former Olympic gold-medalist?
Harrison may be big, but he's slow, and Haye can duck and weave with the best of them. Some people seem to be predicting a Harrison victory on the back of a single punch against a second-rate opponent. I don't see lightning striking twice and I predict a Haye victory inside the first three rounds, available at 5/2 with Betfred.
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