The champion is a human mountain seemingly unmoveable, while the challenger is a former hard hitting world champion who is talking a big fight, but that hasn’t stopped SecondsOut’s team of fearless writers from making their confident picks for Saturday’s WBA heavyweight boxing world title match between title-holder Nikolay Valuev and David Haye at the Arena Nürnberger Versicherung in Nuremberg, Germany.
“David Haye has the power and hand speed to win this one. He will be able to get to Valuev. By the 7th round Haye will be all over Valuev and land the knockout blow. The giant will fall. The current heavyweight division certainly needs an exciting boxer such as Haye and a win by the Brit will be a boost for boxing. Haye W.KO.7.” - Gregory Juckett, Content Editor - New York, USA
“Valuev’s only loss was to Ruslan Chagaev who kept small in size and had the skills to get in and out. Haye’s style has been more power than skills, but it would take one almighty strike to knock down this giant. Anyone going into Germany trying to win a world title has a tough fight in front of them. Haye will have his moments, but it will be very difficult for him to get the win if this fight goes to the cards. More scoring controversy could be on the way. Valuev W.12.” - Paul Upham, Content Editor - Sydney, Australia
“David Haye is anything but bashful and he’s talking a great game about how he is going to knock out the big Russian on Saturday night. A couple of stoppage wins over lower rung big guys does not a heavyweight make, however. He is definitely the quicker fighter and he can most definitely punch but I expect Valuev to frustrate the Englishman with his jab and connect with more and more right hands as the fight progresses. Credit to Haye for taking the challenge but I don’t think that he is a heavyweight and he may learn that on Saturday. Valuev W.TKO.9.” - Michael Norby, Contributing Editor - New England, USA
“The question is: does size matter? I am going to go out on a limb and say yes, it does matter. Haye’s talent is much larger than Valuev’s. As long as no one gets robbed it will be Haye by decision. Haye W.12.” - Jerry Glick - Contributing Editor - New York City, USA
“Sheer size and charitable judging has Valuev competing at world level. A top level fighter would not struggle with the shell of Evander Holyfield. It’s Haye’s fight to lose. Or the judges to steal from him. Haye is box office and the heavyweight division needs him. He won’t disappoint. Haye will be too fast for the Russian man mountain. Valuev is unable to come out for the ninth round. Haye W.RTD.8.” - Mark Butcher, Founding Editor - London, UK
“Well, this is going to be an interesting one to say the least. Haye will have the same trouble I do a lot, being a not so tall dude, reaching his target. With me it might be something on the top of a shelf, with Haye it will be reaching Valuev’s chin and not getting caught on the way in. If he can do that, he should be able to outpoint the giant, but I also don’t know much about Haye’s stamina. It won’t be easy, and he could come undone, but ill go with Haye via decision. Haye W.12.” - James Smith aka. Smitty, Host, In This Corner TV - USA
“Intriguing match with completely different kind of fighters. Haye has his strengths, points that make him a potential star. His annihilation of Maccarinelli was sensational and could well repeat that performance against a sensible slower man. On the other hand, during his career, he has showed alarming points - his chin, stamina and his heart are still open question. If he can’t score with an early assault, the phantom of Carl Thompson could appear in Nuremberg. Valuev is crude, but somehow he has managed to survive and earn decisions against decent heavyweight opposition. I predict he will resist Haye’s early bombs and then will control the center of the ring against a tired, un-spirited and speculative challenger. Another close decision and Niko’s hand will be raised, but this time with less controversy. Valuev W.12.” - Juan Pablo Manfredi - Buenos Aires, Argentina
“I still haven’t jumped on the Haye-wagon and I don’t understand how a win over Monte Barrett gets him a title shot. In truth, he and Tomasz Adamek have accomplished the same level of success with the big boys and no one’s clamoring for him to get a shot. I think Haye will get exposed for what he is the first time he gets pressed: a chinny cruiserweight with poor stamina. However, given Niko’s abhorrent performance against Evander Holyfield, I don’t know how I can pick against Haye. Valuev is slow and not a particularly big puncher for his size. He’s going to want to maul and lean on Haye to tire him out, but I think Haye will probably try to avoid that by moving around the ring a little more as Tommy Morrison did against George Foreman. Haye W.UD.12.” - Derek Bonnett - Connecticut, USA
“Ugh.... Valuev, to me, is the modern day John Ruiz as his fights are more dreadful than the last. As brutal a puncher Haye is, I don’t see him landing enough clean bombs to drop the massive Russian. Valuev will be picked apart in small doses in between the hundreds of clinches. Wake me up when it’s over or at least between rounds so I can view the round card girls. Oh, you want a pick? Haye gets a split decision he should win unanimously 119-109 on all three cards. Haye W.UD.12.” - Mike Sloan - Las Vegas, USA
“I can actually envision the hulking Valuev establishing that slow but long stiff jab and keeping the much smaller Haye off balance for twelve tedious rounds. But I think Haye will get in and out, pepper Valuev with combinations and take a close decision victory. I don’t see the British loudmouth taking Valuev out. Haye W.12.” - Matthew Hurley - Boston, USA
“This fight isn’t really exciting because I do feel that David Haye is a so much better fighter than the champ. Let’s be honest, isn’t Valuev just big and strong? And that’s about it! Does he have any other good qualities worth mentioning? I don’t think so! I can really see why David Haye took this world title fight ahead of a showdown with one of the Klitschko brothers. It’s easy money. Valuev isn’t anywhere near as skilled as the two Ukrainian brothers. I believe Haye will finish the towering Russian off inside five rounds in fact. A brutal TKO in the fourth for Haye is my prediction, clearing the way for the real interesting bouts, the ones against, yeah you guessed it, the Klitschko’s. Haye W.TKO.4.” - Teddy Stenmark - Sweden
“I think Haye’s speed and mobility will see him sneak through on this one, as long as he doesn’t trade with the big guy. Valuev isn’t mobile and is very slow compared to what Haye is used to, so a quick in and out from Haye, though somewhat boring will be the key to victory. Haye W.UD.12.” - Lwazi Ndzobongo - South Africa
“I thought as many did that Valuev lost to Evander Holyfield! Haye is a younger thou not as talented version of Holyfield. He has power but let’s see if it is carried up to the big boys? We know he has a weak chin. Valuev is slow and basically boring. If he can use his reach, he can keep Haye at a distance, but I don’t see that. I see Haye using the same plan Evander used by going in and out, but being more active. With that he will wear out the giant and stop him in eight. Haye W.TKO.8.” - Andy Rivera - New Mexico, USA
“Haye made the right choice pulling out of the Klitschko fight because at least he can look half-way decent against Valuev. I think Valuev is too big for Haye and will win a UD against Haye, who will have some decent moments in the fight. Valuev W.UD.12.” - Ray Kilgore - Minneapolis, MN, USA
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