After he had claimed the WBA heavyweight title from Nikolay Valuev on November 7, 2009, it appeared only a matter of time before David Haye would step into the ring with either of the Klitschko brothers - Vitali or Wladimir - in an attempt to unify the division after the Brit had claimed that the siblings were bad for boxing.
However, Haye's first defence of his newly-won belt came against durable American John Ruiz in Manchester, with the two-weight champion having the challenger on the floor on four occasions during the contest before it ended in the ninth round, and the Londoner wasted no time in calling out the Klitschkos for his next fight in either England or Germany.
Less than a week after Haye's victory, Olympic gold medallist Audley Harrison overcame a shoulder injury to knock out Michael Sprott in a devastating final-round stoppage to not only win the vacant European strap but to also put himself in contention to challenge either Vitali or Wladimir but talk quickly turned to a potential all-British showdown with Haye, with negotiations taking place while Harrison recovered from pectoral surgery.
In September of 2010, it was confirmed that Haye and Harrison, who had previously been friends, would square off on pay-per-view television in a encounter billed 'Best of Enemies', and it didn't take long for hostilities to rise, with Haye wasting no time in belittling his opponent's chances of becoming world heavyweight champion.
By the time that the fight came around two months later, Harrison was given more of a chance by critics and boxing supporters alike, but Haye remained confident of inflicting an early defeat on the veteran, who was competing for a world title for the first time in his 32nd outing since winning gold in Sydney a decade earlier.
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When the bell rang in front of a sell-out crowd at what was then known as the Manchester Evening News Arena, there was a sense of anticipation and intrigue in the crowd with many not knowing what to expect, but the atmosphere quickly turned sour during the opening six minutes as both men showed little intent in throwing the heavy punches that their reputations had been built on.
Harrison was concerned about Haye's explosive power and speed while the champion was wary of his opponent's left hand that had destroyed Sprott in his last fight, but by round three and with the crowd growing increasingly impatient, Haye made his move and hurt Harrison with his first flurry of punches, causing the southpaw to stumble around the ring while attempting to cover up in the process.
However, Haye continued to land at will and although Harrison initially stayed on his feet, the volume of blows eventually took their toll as he slumped to the canvas. Harrison made it to his feet, just, but Haye immediately stepped in to resume his assault to leave the referee with no option but to halt the contest with 67 seconds remaining of the third round.
For Haye, it marked a second successful defence of his title and allowed him to again look for a defining fight with a Klitschko, but for Harrison, his reputation and standing in the sport had been left in tatters after landing just one punch throughout a fight that lasted less than eight minutes. After outcries from all quarters, part of Harrison's purse for the fight was withheld by the BBBofC but early in 2011, he was finally paid in full for his failed challenge at world honours.
In the time that followed the one-sided encounter in the North-West, Haye would go on to lose on points to Wladimir in Hamburg while Harrison suffered first-round losses to both David Price and Deontay Wilder either side of winning Prizefighter. Both men are currently going through a period of inactivity, but with comebacks mooted for the British duo in the near future, it shouldn't be long before we see them back in the ring.
Darren Plant
