What do you do when you have one of the most exciting talents in British boxing and another getting a shot at the World Heavyweight title the coming weekend? You continue to talk about the abomination that was David Haye vs Audley Harrison of course. After Harrison has repaired the little to no damage that he suffered after the third round knockdown, and Haye told anyone that will listen that he’s the greatest person in the world, the fight still lingers.
The main reason people are still talking about the fight will be either the fact they’re attempting to get their £15 back from Sky, or the claims Haye somehow cheated. Friday saw British tabloid The Sun get involved, in particular boxing writer Colin Hart.
Hart spoke to Betfred spokesperson Mark Pearson, who told him: “From the moment the Haye-Harrison fight was announced, boxing experts were saying it was a mismatch and forecast it wouldn’t last three rounds. The build-up was given mass coverage in the media so we knew business was going to be brisk. Not surprisingly, most people put a bet on the fight finishing any time between the first and third rounds.
“As Haye had repeatedly predicted he would finish off Harrison in the third, that was obviously the most popular choice. We lost £200,000 on that round and our biggest winner was a regular punter who collected £20,000. There was nothing unusual in the betting patterns leading up to the opening bell. If we felt there was something dodgy going on, we would have informed the British Boxing Board of Control immediately about our suspicions. It is laughable to talk about a betting scam over that fight or any other fight.”
So if the bookies, tabloids, British Boxing Board of Control, and the two fighters don’t give a toss about the controversy anymore, it should now be put to bed. Haye’s next opponent? Please, let it be Pacquiao!
