Nikolai Valuev vs. David Haye
{{short description|Boxing competition}}
{{use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox boxing match
| Fight Name = David vs Goliath
| image = 230px
| caption =
| fight date = 7 November 2009
| location = Nuremberg Arena, Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany
| titles = WBA Heavyweight Championship
| fighter1 = {{flagicon|RUS}} Nikolai Valuev
| nickname1 = "The Russian Giant"
| hometown1 = Saint Petersburg, Russia
| purse1 =
| record1 = 50–1 (34 KO)
| age1 = {{age in years and months |21 August 1973|7 November 2009}}
| height1 = 7 ft 0 in
| weight1 = 316 lb
| style1 = Orthodox
| recognition1 = WBA
Heavyweight Champion
The Ring
No. 5 Ranked Heavyweight
| fighter2 = {{flagicon|GBR}} David Haye
| nickname2 = "The Hayemaker"
| hometown2 = Bermondsey, London, UK
| purse2 = £2,100,000
| record2 = 22–1 (21 KO)
| age2 = {{age in years and months |13 October 1980|7 November 2009}}
| height2 = 6 ft 3 in
| weight2 = 217 lb
| style2 = Orthodox
| recognition2 = WBA
No. 4 Ranked Heavyweight
The Ring
No. 7 Ranked Heavyweight
| result = Haye wins via majority decision (114-114, 116-112, 116-112)
}}
Nikolai Valuev vs. David Haye, billed as David vs Goliath, was a professional boxing match contested on 7 November 2009 for the WBA heavyweight championship.{{cite web|url=http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Nikolay_Valuev_vs._David_Haye|title=Nikolai Valuev vs. David Haye - BoxRec|publisher=}}
Background
After regaining the WBA title with a unanimous decision over fellow former Champion John Ruiz, Nikolai Valuev had made one defence gaining a very controversial majority decision over Evander Holyfield,[https://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/columns/story?id=3786752 Giant Valuev did little to deserve victory over Holyfield], ESPN article, 2008-12-22, Retrieved on 2014-03-22 he agreed to "Champion in Recess" Ruslan Chagaev, who had given Valuev the only defeat of career. However their fight on 30 May 2009 in Helsinki, Finland at the Hartwall Arena, was cancelled when Chagaev was declared medically unfit after failing a Finnish medical test, allegedly due to hepatitis, although he would go on to face Wladimir Klitschko in June losing via a 9th round RTD.
Haye had moved to the Heavyweight division after he had unified the WBA, WBC & WBO cruiserweight titles against Enzo Maccarinelli, knocking out Monte Barrett in November 2008. He was first set to face WBC Champion Vitali Klitschko,{{cite news |title=Klitschko camp confirm Haye fight |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7782894.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=15 December 2008 |accessdate=3 December 2017}} then Haye agreed to face his brother Wladimir, however he pulled out with a back injury and was replaced with Chagaev. [https://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=4235323 Wladimir Klitschko replaces injured David Haye with Ruslan Chagaev for 20 June fight – ESPN]. Sports.espn.go.com (6 June 2009). Retrieved on 11 October 2010.
In July Valuev and Haye agreed to meet in November, despite John Ruiz claiming that he had inherited the mandatory status from Chagaev as the next highest ranked contender.{{cite news |title=Haye to fight WBA champion Valuev |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/8164412.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=23 July 2009 |accessdate=3 December 2017}} He would later agree to face the winner of Valuev vs Haye.
The fight
Haye was able to outmove and outbox the much slower Valuev by using a circle, stick and move strategy, which would give a majority decision victory. Haye suffered a broken hand during the fight while hitting Valuev's head, saying it was like hitting a brick wall. The win made Haye the fourth Briton to win a major heavyweight title, after Bob Fitzsimmons, Lennox Lewis, and Frank Bruno, as well as only the second former cruiserweight champion to win a heavyweight title after Evander Holyfield.{{cite news |title=Haye shocks Valuev to take title | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/8347139.stm|publisher=BBC Sport |date=7 November 2009 |accessdate=3 December 2017}}{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/nov/08/david-haye-nikolai-valuev | location=London | work=The Guardian | title=David Haye beat Nikolai Valuev despite suffering a broken hand | first=Kevin | last=Mitchell | date=8 November 2009}}
Aftermath
Valuev would retire after the fight, while Haye would agree to face Ruiz in a mandatory defence.
Undercard
Confirmed bouts:{{cite web|url=http://boxrec.com/en/event/581916|title=BoxRec - event|publisher=}}
| class=wikitable
!Winner !! Loser!! Weight division/title belt(s) disputed !! Result |
| {{flagicon|USA}} John Ruiz
|{{flagicon|TUR}} Adnan Serin |Heavyweight (10 rounds) |7th-round TKO. |
| {{flagicon|Puerto Rico}} Francisco Palacios
|{{flagicon|USA}} DeLeon Tinsley |Cruiserweight (8 rounds) |1st-round TKO. |
| {{flagicon|FIN}} Robert Helenius
|{{flagicon|UKR}} Taras Bidenko |Heavyweight (8 rounds) |3rd-round RTD. |
| {{flagicon|BLR}} Siarhei Liakhovich
|{{flagicon|USA}} Jeremy Bates |Heavyweight (8 rounds) |1st-round TKO. |
| {{flagicon|GBR}} George Groves
|{{flagicon|BLR}} Kanstantsin Makhankou |Super Middleweight (8 rounds) |Unanimous decision |
| {{flagicon|GER}} Alexander Frenkel
|{{flagicon|USA}} Kelvin Davis |Cruiserweight (8 rounds) |1st-round TKO. |
| {{flagicon|AUT}} Marcos Nader
|{{flagicon|ITA}} Ciro Ciano |Middleweight (6 rounds) |Unanimous decision |
| {{flagicon|BUL}} Kubrat Pulev
|{{flagicon|USA}} Gbenga Oloukun |Heavyweight (6 rounds) |Unanimous decision |
Broadcasting
| class="wikitable" | |
| align=center | Country
! align=center | Broadcaster | |
|---|---|
| {{flag|Canada}} | Viewers Choice |
| {{flag|Denmark}} | TV2 Sport |
| {{flag|Germany}} | ARD |
| {{flag|Hungary}} | Viasat 6 |
| {{flag|Philippines}} | Solar Sports |
| {{flag|Poland}} | Polsat |
| {{flag|United Kingdom}} | Sky Sports |
| {{flag|United States}} | Direct TV |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-bef | before=vs. Evander Holyfield}}
{{s-ttl | title=Nikolai Valuev's bouts | years=7 November 2009}}
{{s-non | reason=Retired}}
{{succession box
| before = vs. Monte Barrett
| title = David Haye's bouts
| years = 7 November 2009
| after = vs. John Ruiz
}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valuev, Haye}}
Category:November 2009 sports events in Europe
Category:Boxing matches in Germany
Category:Sports competitions in Nuremberg
Category:World Boxing Association heavyweight championship matches