Connect with us

Boxing

David Haye’s massive claim against Deontay Wilder collapsed in 12 days

Published

on

David Haye made one of Deontay Wilder’s boldest claims in the build-up to his rematch with Tyson Fury, only for the argument to look very different twelve days later as Fury led the American out in Las Vegas.

In February 2020, Haye supported Wilder’s chin, recovery ability and all-time punching ability ahead of his rematch with Fury at the MGM Grand.

At the time, it wasn’t an outrageous sight because Haye knew Wilder better than most from many sparring rounds.

Wilder was also undefeated, still the WBC heavyweight champion, and had almost knocked out Fury in the final round of their first meeting in 2018, which meant many people still believed that one immaculate right hand could decide the rematch.

This was the most feared version of Wilder in boxing before Fury changed the entire conversation in seven brutal rounds.

David Haye on Deontay Wilder

Ahead of the Wilder vs Fury II fight, Haye recalled his sparring sessions with Wilder before the “Bronze Bomber” became world champion.

The former cruiserweight and heavyweight titleholder told Richie Woodall on BT Sport that Wilder’s punch resistance is underestimated.

“One thing people don’t mention is impact resistance. I’ve never heard anyone say that [Deontay] I can take the shot. He can hit the shot,” Haye said.

Haye then took the point further.

“Not only does he have a good chin, but he has great recovery ability,” he added.

This was the part that came back most strongly when Fury caught him, because while Haye’s assessment of Wilder’s strength was always easier to defend, the chin and recovery argument was about to face a very different kind of pressure.

Wilder remains one of the most perilous single-punch heavyweights boxing has ever seen, with his right hand securing a world title and leaving many opponents losing their minds. No one needed to exaggerate this threat.

The rematch was different because Fury failed to give Wilder a immaculate, upright fight at the distance that allowed the threat to breathe.

Wilder vs. Fury II

Fury entered the rematch heavier, meaner and fully committed to pushing Wilder back and choking him.

From the opening rounds, the fight was nothing like the first encounter, as the challenger leaned on him, battered him, physically abused him, and kept Wilder from loading up on the weapon that made his career.

WBN was ringside in Las Vegas and scored, but the booking never mattered as Fury knocked down Wilder in the third round, knocked him down again in the fifth and kept the pressure on until the seventh when the towel came and referee Kenny Bayliss stopped the fight.

At the beginning of the seventh round, WBN had Fury in the lead 59-52. The scorecard was there, but Fury made it irrelevant.

The ringside results report described how Fury mauled, manipulated and stopped Deontay Wilder in the seventh minute, which was about as far from Haye’s assessment as Fury could take.

The claim failed within 12 days

Haye said Wilder could take the shot and recover quickly, but Fury forced boxing to see the opposite picture over seven increasingly uncomfortable rounds.

Wilder wasn’t simply sent off. He was slowly being torn apart by the pressure, size, clinch strength and a game plan designed to strip him of the rhythm that made him so perilous.

When Fury hurt him, Wilder never looked like the same fighter again.

The rematch exposed the difference between carrying terrifying power and facing a heavyweight who won’t let you recover.

Wilder still had power, but Fury had lost his aura.

The fury changed everything

Before that night, Wilder could still point to Fury’s twelfth-round escape in the first fight and argue that one punch almost decided everything.

After the rematch, the conversation was completely different because Fury not only outlived Wilder. He dominated him.

Haye’s theorem remains one of the most memorable takeaways from the fracas.

Twelve days before Fury II, Wilder was praised for his beard, recovery and devastating power. Twelve days later, only one of these claims still seemed secure.

The power survived, but everything else was destroyed.


About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Boxing

Pierce OLeary vs. Mark Chamberlain Live Results: Updates and Highlights

Published

on

Pierce O'Leary vs. Mark Chamberlain Live Results: Updates and Highlights

LIVE COVERAGE

World Boxing News provides live results and updates from Dublin as Pierce O’Leary faces Mark Chamberlain at super lightweight.

Queensberry Promotions returns to the 3Arena with an action-packed card headed by the unbeaten Irish star O’Leary, who meets former British champion Chamberlain in the main event.

The undercard also features Gary Cully, Reece Bellotti, Sean McComb, Steven Cairns, Ben Fail and several unbeaten Irish prospects.


Pierce O’Leary vs Mark Chamberlain Results

Times are Local – IST

17:46

Gary Cully stopped Lee Reeves in the tenth round to improve to 20-2.

Cully overcame a fifth-round point deduction for repeatedly losing his gumshield before dropping Reeves twice in the final round to force the stoppage.

The victory marked Cully’s 11th knockout win as a professional.

17:01

Sean McComb returned with a comfortable six-round points victory over Miguel Antin.

McComb won every round on the referee’s scorecard, claiming a 60-54 decision to improve his record to 22-2.

16:31

Machlan Arthur improved to 2-0 with his second straight knockout by stopping Ryan Frost in the fourth round.

Arthur dropped Frost twice in the final session before the referee waved the contest off at 1:05 of round four.


Remaining Bouts

• Pierce O’Leary vs Mark Chamberlain – IBO World Super Lightweight Title (12)

• Royston Barney-Smith vs Reece Bellotti – Vacant IBO Inter-Continental Super Featherweight Title (10)

• Gary Cully vs Lee Reeves – Super Lightweight (10)

• Steven Cairns vs Senan Kelly – Super Lightweight (10)

• Ben Fail vs Craig O’Brien – Super Welterweight (10)

• Bobbi Flood vs Tariq Davis – Super Welterweight (6)

• Adam Olaniyan vs Jonathan Claudio Sauco – Heavyweight (4)

• John Joe Carrigan vs Sean Murray – Super Welterweight (4)

• Sami Hamed vs Bela Istvan Orban – Super Welterweight (4)


Queensberry

Preview

Pierce O’Leary tops a major night of boxing in Dublin as the unbeaten Irishman takes on Mark Chamberlain for the IBO World super lightweight title.

O’Leary enters the contest looking to continue his rise through the rankings against the experienced Chamberlain, who aims to return to winning ways after a draw in his third outing since suffering the lone defeat of his professional career.

The chief support sees Royston Barney-Smith meet Reece Bellotti for the vacant IBO Inter-Continental super featherweight title.

Gary Cully also returns in an intriguing domestic clash with fellow unbeaten Irishman Lee Reeves, while Steven Cairns faces Senan Kelly in another all-Irish encounter.

Sean McComb, Ben Fail, Bobbi Flood, Adam Olaniyan, Machlan Arthur, John Joe Carrigan and Sami Hamed also feature on the Queensberry Promotions card.

Updates will be added below as the action unfolds in Dublin, with more live coverage on World Boxing News.


About the Author

Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.

Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.

Continue Reading

Boxing

Barry McGuigan: Ryan Garcia Faces a Dangerman in Conor Benn at 147 lbs

Published

on

Barry McGuigan: Ryan Garcia Faces a "Dangerman" in Conor Benn at 147 lbs

Hall of Famer Barry McGuigan has named one half of the main event between Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn as the “dangerman” at 147lbs.

The two welterweights will collide at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on September 12, with Garcia making a first defence of his WBC world title.

He claimed the belt by dethroning Mario Barrios with a unanimous decision victory in February, which followed his surprising points loss to Rolando Romero in May 2025.

Interestingly enough, this defeat came shortly after his year-long doping ban, which he served on account of testing positive for ostarine ahead of his majority decision victory over Devin Haney.

The result of their showdown was then ruled a no-contest, with Garcia subsequently moving up to welterweight after failing to keep below the 140lb limit.

It now seems the 27-year-old is competing at a more natural weight while Benn, who tested positive for clomifene in 2022, has not made 147lbs since his second-round finish over Chris van Heerden that same year.

Speaking with talkSPORTIrish boxing icon McGuigan suggested that this – as well as the 29-year-old’s technical flaws – could prove a major factor against Garcia.

“[Benn’s] got that genetic code from his dad, and he’s got that explosiveness and everything else. But he is predictable – you can see when he’s going to throw.

“You ask yourself: is Garcia just a little bit too sharp for him? A little bit too cute. I think Garcia’s finally found the weight he’s most suitable [for]. I think he’s a dangerman at 147[lbs].

“Maybe Conor Benn has left it a little too late to make 147[lbs] again. I think that could be his Achilles’ heel. I make Garcia a slight favourite but would never write off Conor Benn – he’s got that fighting heart.”

Benn comes off a unanimous decision victory over Regis Prograis in April, which followed his two middleweight encounters with Chris Eubank Jr last year.

Continue Reading

Boxing

Devin Haney Updates Fight Strategy After Keyshawn Davis Withdraws from Title Shot

Published

on

"Devin Haney Updates Fight Strategy After Keyshawn Davis Withdraws from Title Shot"

Devin Haney’s immediate future has been thrown into uncertainty after Keyshawn Davis pulled out of their mandated contest on Friday.

The pair had been ordered to collide for Haney’s WBO world title, with Davis having been named as the sanctioning body’s mandatory challenger at 147lbs.

Multiple reports then suggested that the 27-year-old was offered $3m by Top Rank, his promoter, only for ‘The Businessman’ to reject what would have been a career-high payday.

Subsequently, their bout went to a purse bit hearing, where Top Rank trumped Teofimo Lopez’s Takeover Promotions with a sum of $8,550,000.

This therefore gave Bob Arum’s outfit the promotional rights and, as per the usual 75/25 split in favour of the defending champion, Davis would have been entitled to a share of $2,137,500.

Since Thursday’s auction, though, Davis has excluded himself from the fight and left Haney without an obvious opponent for his first welterweight title defence.

Taking to social mediaWBO president Gustavo Olivieri explained that his organisation must now provide their champion with a solution.

“The WBO hereby confirms receipt of written notice from counsel on behalf of Keyshawn Davis advising that he will NOT accept the 25% purse split adjudicated pursuant to the official WBO purse bid proceedings and, accordingly, will NOT participate in the WBO welterweight mandatory championship contest against Devin Haney.

“In light of the foregoing, the WBO Championship Committee and Ratings Committee will convene to proceed in accordance with the WBO world championship rules and regulations. The applicable ruling will be rendered and published in due course.”

At this stage, it remains to be seen whether Haney will be immediately ordered to face a new mandatory challenger or, given the situation, have the opportunity to make a voluntary defence.

Either way, the 27-year-old has not fought since dethroning Brian Norman Jr in November and is surely eager to return to action.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending