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We do it time and time again. We write off Carl Thompson, we print the same previews, we tell anyone who will listen that "Carl should lose, he has a chance but age will catch up with him and he will be defeated". Time and time again he sticks our words down our throat.
Last night at the Wembley Arena was just another episode in this long running soap opera. Carl came back from the brink and stopped hot prospect David Haye in five rounds thus retaining his IBO Cruiserweight title and in doing so left Haye's dreams of ascending to world class in tatters.
Haye entered the ring dancing like he was at a London nightclub, he looked completely relaxed, and he looked like he thought it was 'his time'. Carl entered the ring to the Rocky theme. He looked focused, maybe just a little nervous but undoubtedly ready for war. If it was war he wanted then a war he would get.
The first bell sounded and Haye started like he had other business to attend to later in the night, he had no intention of letting this become a long, drawn out affair, he was going in for the kill. For a long time it looked like he would get his wish. Punches rained down on Thompson who looked in a daze, savage right hands and beautiful uppercuts smashed into the exposed chin of Thompson, the right hand being especially successful. Carl was all over the place but showed the awareness to roll with the punches as Haye went for the finish. Thompson was pinned to the ropes on numerous occasions but was always trying to fight back, launching the right hand in the hope of catching Haye on his way in. The bell sounded to end the round, Carl hadn’t had many tougher rounds in his career that dates back to 1988 but importantly, he had survived.
 The second round began as the first had ended. Haye continued to nail Thompson with right hands and Thompson fell against the ropes. Once again he fought back, and then came a major turning point in the fight. Haye didn’t follow up with another attack, instead he circled and his work rate dropped. Carl became more confident and finished the round by clipping Haye with his first meaningful punch of the fight. Haye began to visibly tire. Had Haye shot his bolt? Had Thompson taken the best Haye could offer? For the first time in the whole night we though maybe, just maybe.....
 The third round saw Haye move onto the back foot. He tried the jab but there was no snap. These were single shots, there were to be no more combinations from Haye. Carl moved forward, like a lion stalking its prey. Haye still landed the big punches, a round the corner left hurting Thompson once again but there seemed no way Carl would go down, He had taken by far worse punishment in the first and second rounds. These blows were nothing in comparison and Haye was losing his energy right before our very eyes. And as Haye grew more tired the stronger Thompson became, a bad combination for David. The fourth was Thompson's round, and big. Haye could now barely move his legs, he stood there, doing no work but seemingly having no energy to move away. The Cat began to rain right hands on Haye who adopted the novel tactic of blocking them with his face, Haye was done and I jotted in my notes that it was 'only a matter of time. Haye was able to take some hefty blows, maybe answering a few questions about his chin.
 The fifth round began with Carl adopting the same tactics that had worked so successfully in the previous stanza. He followed Haye around nailing him with right hands. Haye was now completely tired and it came as no suprise when Carl landed a round the corner right that dropped Haye to the canvas for only the second time in his career.
Haye, showing true warrior heart dragged himself to his feet but he was just delaying the inevitable. The Cat had him hurt and there was no way he was letting him off the leash. Carl landed a devastating right hand that left Haye out on his feet. As Carl stepped in to finish him off Haye's corner threw the towel in and in doing so gave us one of British boxing's biggest shocks in years. Thompson was raised in the air, he had shown us all that this Cat could'nt be tamed. He was still champ.
But where do they go from here? At the post fight press conference it was stated that Sebastian Rothmann, the man who Carl beat to win the title would be the most likely opponent. Will we back Carl? Of Course not, will he suprise us again? Probably! Well done Carl...
David Haye will need to go back to the drawing board and ask himself why he shot his load too early. He didn’t follow the tactics planned before the fight, he went to war when the orders were to potshot. He can learn from this but the mental scars may well be worse than the physical ones, he will need time. Can he come back? British boxing hopes so, time will tell.
Huge set back for The Viper
David Haye wasn’t the only man to have his world crash around him last night. Former British Lightweight champion Bobby Vanzie came back from his controversial point defeats to Graham Earl with a four round job against undefeated Scot Dave Stewart.
Vanzie started off well in round one, his fast combinations seemed too much for the stylist from the North of the border. The second was closer. Stewart caught more on his gloves and started to fire back. I gave the round to Vanzie although many ringside (along with the ref) had it level. It was at this point that Vanzie began to tire, and badly.
Stewart caught everything on his gloves and his jab was lethal, straight rights also caught the hapless Vanzie. By the end of the third he was panting like a 60 a day smoker and Stewart knew it. Dave dominated the last round, the jab permanently in Vanzie's face and a big right nearly flooring his opponent. At the end the ref lifted Stewart's hand. He gave him the fight by a score of 39-38. I had it level but Bobby had no cause for complaint. If it had been a six-rounder there was a major possibility that he would have been stopped.
Vanzie will need time to regroup. He needs to ask himself why his conditioning was so poor. Had he trained properly? Either way this is another unfortunate setback for him. I've no idea where he goes now, I’m not sure he does. We will see. Stewart on the other hand looks a class act. He is deceptively strong and has a lovely style. Its up to him to move on from here, he’s certainly one to watch.
The Roman Empire rolls along
 Roman Greenberg extended his unbeaten run to 16 when he won an easy points decision over Belarus giant Vitali Shkraba. Greenberg, who fights out of Finchley, started off by throwing some serious leather.
He hurt Shkraba on a few occasions and it seemed only a matter of time before he stopped him. Shkraba was possibly the slowest fighter I have ever seen in the flesh. His lunges gave Greenberg the chance to move to the side and counter. For a big man Roman has very good footwork and quick hands. This opponent was designed to make him look good but you could tell he had talent.
If the first three rounds were impressive the last three were the height of tedium. Greenberg dropped his workrate and just used single shots. It didn’t seem a stamina issue; he just seemed to mess about for three rounds. Maybe he was bored fighting such an outgunned opponent but there was no urgency in his work. He took the fight by a score of 60-54 but this was one of his least impressive performances. It seems as though he needs a step up in order to bring more out of himself, I imagine that step up isn’t too far away.
Continue to Under Card Report by Gareth Sharp.
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© Copyright / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing 1998-2004
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By Martin Dobbing, Report from Wembley Arena (September 11, 2004)
