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David Haye blames toe for flop

No boxing fan was particularly surprised to see David Haye lose his heavyweight title bout against Wladimir Klitschko in July. Despite Haye's months of zippy trash talk that got fans hoping to see a new Lennox Lewis in the making, the coldly analytical critics who insisted that Klitschko would simply have too much firepower were proven utterly right.

The dismal manner of Haye's defeat was, while disappointing, also

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David Haye blames toe for flop

No boxing fan was particularly surprised to see David Haye lose his heavyweight title bout against Wladimir Klitschko in July. Despite Haye's months of zippy trash talk that got fans hoping to see a new Lennox Lewis in the making, the coldly analytical critics who insisted that Klitschko would simply have too much firepower were proven utterly right.

The dismal manner of Haye's defeat was, while disappointing, also predictable. Haye was so thoroughly outclassed early on that he was reduced to wild, amateurish swipes in hope of a knockout, showing technique more suited to a playground brawl than a fight for the world heavyweight championship.

Yet what really left fans gasping in incredulity was Haye's insisted that his chances had been ruined by a broken toe, and a pre-bout pain killing injection that had worn off before the fight began.

"I was struggling to walk to the ring," Haye said after the fight as he jumped onto the table at the post-bout press conference to show off a little toe that looked like it'd been coloured in with a felt-tip pen. The world sat, open jawed, at his sour grapes; and then mocked boxing's new laughing stock.

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