At the MEN Arena in Manchester, England, WBA heavyweight champion David Haye (24-1, 22 KOs) retained his title with a ninth-round stoppage over former two-time champion John Ruiz (44-9-1, 30 KOs). Haye scored four knockdowns during the contest. At the start of the first, Ruiz came out jabbing and started to take the fight to Haye. Haye stepped back and decked Ruiz down with a huge right hand. Ruiz was in trouble as he beat the count. Haye went on the attack. When Ruiz was against the ropes, Haye nailed him to the back of the head and sent Ruiz down hard. The ref called time and then took a point from Haye for the illegal shot. Ruiz tried to charge Haye but held him to hang on. Haye was outfighting him with quicker punches. Ruiz landed a good combination at the end.
Ruiz came out with the jab in the second round. Haye landed a good counter right hand to push Ruiz back. Haye started moving and using a jab. Ruiz got off with a good glancing combo. He started walking Haye down by moving forward and using a jab to come inside.
Ruiz came out in the third pushing forward. A three punch combo by Ruiz as he pressed Haye against the ropes. Ruiz’s nose began to bleed from a Haye right hand. Ruiz still pressed forward and walked right into a Haye combo. Ruiz was pushing Haye back with glancing punches. Haye countered back with a hard three punch combo.
In the fourth, Ruiz came back to pushing the fight. Haye was picking his shots while moving around. Ruiz tried jabbing to the body and landed two right hands. Ruiz started to land his jab and began to outwork Haye in the final minute.
At the start of the fifth, Haye landed two big punches and then got off with some more hard shots when he trapped Ruiz against the ropes. Ruiz fought his way off and went back to the jab. Ruiz continued to come forward, using the jab to set up other punches. Ruiz was jabbing to the head and body. Haye was moving backwards and tried to land counters. Near the end of the round, Haye landed two punches and one of them appeared hit Ruiz right to the back of the head and sent him down. The ref ruled it as another knockdown.
In the sixth, Ruiz came right out pressing with punches and throwing the jab. Haye started using his own jab to battle. When they were tangled up against the ropes, Haye hit Ruiz several times and sent him down for the fourth time in the contest. Ruiz was again complaining the punches hit him to the back of the head. They began to go to war with hard shots being thrown by both. Haye began to target the body and started to use combos on Ruiz against the ropes when the bell rang to end it.
The seventh was slower at the start. Ruiz’s face was swelling up bad. Haye stayed on the backfoot, throwing the jab and looking for something big. Ruiz was jabbing and jabbing to send Haye back. Haye countered big with his own hard jab to set up a good right hand. Ruiz landed a good two punch combo to the body and head to push Haye back to the ropes.
Ruiz came out with the jab in the eight. Haye pushed forward with a four punch combo. They were exchanging jabs from the distance. Haye with a big right hand. Haye landed a big left and then a big right to stun Ruiz. Haye was picking his shots in the final minute.
In the ninth, Ruiz was moving forward and Haye was started to land his own jab often. A three punch combo stunned Ruiz again and Ruiz’s trainer Miguel Diaz threw in the towel to stop the fight.
