David Haye Upsets Nikolay Valuev to Take Heavyweight Crown

FanHouse live blogged round-by-round updates of David Haye's majority-decision upset of Nikolay Valuev in of one of the more intriguing heavyweight fights of the year. Valuev had a clear size advantage over Haye, but boxing experts were split on who would come out on top of this one.

Valuev fell to 50-2 in his career (34 knockouts), while Haye improved to 23-1 (21 KOs). We will have a complete wrap-up of this match soon. In the meantime, see how FanHouse scored the fight.

Check out the fight recap after the jump.


Pre-fight: David Haye entered the arena to the tunes of "Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!" The London resident wore a blue T-short and the Union Jack symbol on the front and back of his trunks.

The seven-foot Nikolay Valuev entered the ring to the live tunes of the band, "Sunrise Avenue." Valuev, wearing a dark robe trimmed in gold, stepped over the ropes, as is his custom.

Initially, Haye's abundance of British fans cheered him, while booing loudly during the commencement of Russia's national anthem.

Introduced by Michael Buffer's "Let's Get Ready To Rumble," Haye was cheered, and Valuev, booed.

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Round 1: Haye circles to his left to start the round, with Valuev pursuing with a jab. Haye lands three times to the body, and Valuev, once, with two jabs. Haye missed with a leaping, overhand right. Valuev lands a grazing right hand, but is feignting with his jab. Valuev lands a light jab, and Haye delivers a right to Valuev's body. Haye lands a right to Valeuv's jaw, but the champ takes it well. Valuev blocks a right by Haye. Haye's round, 10-9

Round 2: The crowd boos to start the second, with Haye continuing to circle to his left. A left hook lands by Haye, whose hands are down as he slips jabs. Valuev is patiently fighting tall. Haye jabs to the body. Haye, hands at his waist, circles right, and then, back to the left as Valuev simply follows. Not much landing by either fighter until Haye delivers a jab to the body. Haye suddenly lands a hard right that quiver's the left side of the champion's jaw, but Valuev shakes his head to say he was unfazed. Valuev closes with two decent jabs. Haye's round, 10-9.

Round 3: Valuev steps in and throws a right, but it catches only the shoulder of the elusive Haye. Haye continues to circle left, and eludes a right hand by Valuev. Valuev misses with another right. Haye lands a right-left and moves away. Valuev grazes Haye with a left hook, then misses with a jab. Haye lands an uppercut and circles left again. Haye lands a one-two just before the bell. Haye's round, 10-9.

Round 4: Haye's lateral movement continues to keep him out of harms way, although he takes a shot to the body in a neutral corner. Haye's movement is bothersome, although Valuev lands a right. Haye finds a home for a glancing, overhand right. Haye's hands still are at his waist, but Valuev still misses with a left-right. Haye fires home a left hook and a jab to the body. Valuev delivers a left-right to the head and body, as well as two jabs. Valuev's round, 10-9.

Round 5: Valuev is told between rounds to throw more right hands. Valuev lands two, grazing jabs to Haye's head. Haye switches briefly to southpaw, then, back to right-handed, but takes a soft, left-right combination. Valuev lands one of two jabs, and takes a reaching left hook from Haye. Haye ducks under a left uppercut, but is caught with a three-punch combination that is punctuated by Valuev's right hand. Valuev lands a jab before the bell. Valuev's round, 10-9.

Round 6: Valuev continues to patiently stalk forward behind his jab, landing one early to Haye's chest. Haye's hands still are at his waist, even as Valuev closes in and lands a clubbing left. Valuev lands twice to the body during a four-punch combination. A left from Valuev lands, but Haye counters with his own left hook. Valuev blocks a leaping right hand, and a couple of jabs by Haye fall short. Valuev gets home a left jab and a left hook. Valuev's round, 10-9.

Round 7: The fight appears to be even, with Valuev seeming to be the fresher man. Valuev steps forward, cuts off the ring, and drives home a right hand, and, later, pumps in a couple of jabs. Later, Valuev tags the challenger with a chopping right. Haye jabs to the body before coming over the top with a left that finds Valuev's neck, with little effect. Valuev's jab is bothering Haye. The fighters trade punches -- Haye fires a left hook, Valuev, a right hand. Haye takes two, stiff jabs and a right hand. Haye counters a left hand with three straight punches. Valuev's round, 10-9.

Round 8: Haye's corner warns him not to get lazy, as Valuev appears to have taken over the fight's momentum. Haye drives in a solid shot, but Valuev takes it. Haye delivers a jolting jab, as does Valuev. Valuev lands a grazing left hook, and then, two, short jabs. Haye lands a left, then a counter-left. Haye jabs to the body. Haye closes with a three-punch combination, and, shows a bolo-punch that goes undelivered prior to the bell. Even, 10-10.

Round 9: In the most uneventful round of the fight, Valuev finally lands a right hand in the neutral corner, after which the fighters clinch. Haye clubs home a left, even as Valuev continues to jab. Haye leaps in and lands a right, followed by a grazing left. Valuev grazes with his own left. Haye lands another clubbing left. Haye's round, 10-9.

Round 10: FanHouse has the fight even at 86-86. Haye has shown great discipline by staying with his gameplan of slipping and moving, and obviously has begun to frustrate the larger man. Valuev grazes with a jab, then gets Haye's respect with a decent right hand. But Haye, appearing to realize that he needs to punch more, becomes a tad more offensive-minded. Haye chops in a grazing, looping right, and then another that gets Valuev's attention. Valuev delivers to the body, then lands three or four punches before the bell. Haye's round, 10-9.

Round 11: Valuev lands twice, once with a jab. Two more jabs by Valuev find a home. Haye counters with a punch, but Valauev comes back with a left and a short, right hand. Two more Valuev jabs find their mark. Valuev jabs to the body, as does Haye, who is short with both an overhand right and a jab. Valuev lands a left hook. Valuev's round, 10-9

Round 12: FanHouse has it even, 105-105. Haye jabs to the body. Valuev misses with a whistling right, and Haye also misses with a right hand. Valuev lands lightly with a right to the body, followed by two light jabs land. Haye lands a right-left, misses with a right, and then wobbles Valuev with the fight's most telling blow -- a followup left right on the nose. Valuev clinches. Mysteriously, referee Luis Pabon steps in to break them up, appearing to halt Haye's desired followup. Haye finishes strongly, nevertheless. Haye's round, 10-9.

Stefano Carozza and Tom Miller score the fight 116-112, for Haye, and Juan M. Garcia Reyes had it even, 114-114, as Haye wins a majority decision and is the NEW WBA HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION.

FanHouse scores it, 115-114, for Haye, who becomes only the second former cruiserweight (200 pounds) win become heavyweight world champion. Evander Holyfield was the first with his KO of Buster Douglass in 1990.