After a quiet few months, EBU fans are itching for a big fight. Well you got one. Skill vs. brawling, defence vs. aggression, skill vs. power and footwork vs. stalking. Whatever it is that you like to see in a boxing ring, this fight has it.
In just one week, Kuznetsov (EBU European Heavyweight Champion) vs. Havey (EBU British Heavyweight Champion) will trade blows for the second time. The first fight was a shocker. Havey was expected to easily deal with the younger power punching champion. The fight couldn’t have been more different to the prediction. Kuznetsoz out moved and outpunched the highly skilled Briton. Havey didn’t really do much. He moved around a lot but threw very few punches. Many speculated that Havey was injured. He did have shoulder surgery after the fight but Havey denied any injury, stating “An old niggle was fixed. I’ve had it for years and decided to get it fixed whilst weighing up my options”. For the first time ever, Havey was stopped in that fight with the referee declaring a TKO in round 5. Havey looked terrible. I don’t believe he was injured. More likely his preparation wasn’t up to his usual standard.
Even though the result was conclusive, more tickets were sold in the UK for this fight than the last. It was a surprise to me and a even bigger surprise to the promoters. EBU supporters seem to have really got behind Havey for this rematch.
Both men have predicted an early night. Havey said that people shouldn’t take their coats off. Kuznetsov said that the fight wont go past the first half. The promoter said “I agree with both boxers. The judges wont be needed for this fight. Kuznetsov has too much power and Havey has too much explosiveness. All it takes is for one of them to connect clean. I feel certain that one of them is going to be unconscious”.
Havey has always come into the ring with the right tactics and executed them flawlessly. Maybe he just got it wrong last time, as he claims. Maybe he was injured. Maybe he was caught early on with a shot and never fully recovered. Or maybe he is passed it. The Hammer has had plenty of injuries and more wars than he should have. The toll has surely been immense.
Kuznetsov is young and in his prime. Before the first fight I said that he wasn’t experienced enough. Everyone was saying the same thing and we were all wrong. The power pounce punch that he loves so much could end the night for Havey at any point. Maybe Kuznetsov did get lucky last time. Maybe he was in the right place at the right time. Or maybe its his time.
My head tells me that there is no way Havey can win. He has too much wear and tear and Kuznetsov is fresh. Havey is older and Kuznetsov is prime age. Someone recently said “Havey has enjoyed years of glory, top rankings and top opposition. He doesn’t have the hunger. Kuznetsov wants all of that”. My heart says that Havey will win. He has a good track record of backing up what he says. I recently saw him and told him I had the prediction write up but would stay neutral. He replied “You can say whatever you like. I don’t mind. Your write up doesn’t change a thing”. He looked at me with unblinking intensity, “I will win”. The way he said it made me believe it, even though it makes no sense.
PREDICTION. Havey starts faster than usual, moving in and out of range. Kuznetsov looks to load up and keeps pushing forward. Havey ends the fight in the later rounds with a ko victory.
English Boxing Union 