If ever a contest personified the phrase 'crossroads fight', David Haye's bout against Carl Thompson was it. Haye was an exciting 10-0 (10 KOs) prospect with the backing of the BBC, and a win for him would have propelled him into massive fights after less than two years as a pro.
As for Thompson, losing here would have been devastating. He had boxed at the very highest level, even outpointing the legendary Chris Eubank, but he had been through many wars and had been stopped five times. A loss against Haye would have left Thompson irrelevant at the top level, and probably forced him into retirement.
How Haye vs. Thompson Played Out
David Haye was always known (as he still is) as a fast starter, while Thompson was notorious for slowly waking up, and getting into fights in the later stages. Both fighters lived up to their reputations, as Haye came out swinging for the fences, while Thompson did very little. Thompson was hurt in the early stages of the round, as Haye seemingly couldn't miss with power shots. At points, it looked like Thompson wouldn't make it out of the first, but he showed his heart by getting through the round, despite Haye's best efforts.
Haye wasn't quite as dominant in round 2, although he still won it comfortably. At the start of the round, Thompson was nearly put away, but Haye couldn't quite finish the job. Unbelievably, after this burst, Haye looked as if he was beginning to gas, which was a bad sign against someone with as much heart as Carl Thompson.
Haye just nicked the third session, but Thompson was being more successful than at earlier junctures, scoring with jabs and occasional right straights. Haye's footwork and speed won him the round, but his mouth was hanging open at the end of it, showing his fatigue.
In round four, Thompson really imposed himself on the exhausted Haye. Right straights and left uppercuts courtesy of 'the Cat' were landing cleanly, and the wily champion was really beginning to fancy it. He had every right to feel this way.
The fight ended in round five. Haye was put down at the start of the session, and despite getting up and fighting courageously, he was stopped after a booming right straight sent him into the corner, and 'the Cat' went in for the kill. The towel came in from the Haye corner, and Thompson preserved his career with a miraculous victory.
Implications Of Haye vs. Thompson
After this showdown, it was back to the drawing board for Haye, and he was back to square one in terms of career progress. However, he has since gone on to become the undisputed cruiserweight champion of the world, and has moved up to the heavyweight division. Haye's exciting style always makes for a great contest, and he may be the man to reinvigorate an otherwise dull heavyweight scene.
As for Thompson, he had one more bout after this (which he won on points) before calling it a day. The Haye fight cemented his status as an excellent boxer, and one with an immense heart. After all, how many can say they've walked through David Haye's best punches and come back to win? He is the only one to date that can boast this claim.
How To Watch Thompson vs. Haye
Thompson vs. Haye was this week's 'Classic Fight of the Week'. Please visit my profile page for details on how to watch this, or any of the fights previously covered in this column.
