David Haye's handy bet (and subsequent u-turn)

[Easy 10]

David Haye's post-fight interview:

"I had a lot riding on round 3, I put money on the third round. A lot of my friends and family did too, ask around. I told everyone I'd KO him in three rounds".

Then on being told this morning during an interview on 5-Live that its illegal to bet on yourself in a fight:

"Illegal to bet on yourself to lose isn't it ? I didn't physically go into a betting shop and say "here's x amount of money". What I did say what I would knock Audley out in three rounds. If he came out earlier I would have knocked him out earlier. My prediction was the third round and I told a lot of people that.

"It did FEEL like I'd bet on myself because a lot of people had put money on it, family members and what not. If it had gone into the fourth round I knew people would have lost a lot of money and I'd have felt a bit guilty".


Utter bullshit, the lot of it. He's run his mouth off in the aftermath of the "fight" about betting on himself for round 3, then had to hastily backtrack when it was later pointed out to him that this was actually against the rules. And it certainly explains the complete lack of any action whatsoever in the first 2 rounds, where barely a punch was thrown by either of them (the ref had to actually call them together to remind them to start fighting).

What a crock of shit. You've got one bloke who didn't throw a punch, just in there to pick up one final purse and not get hurt too much in the process, against another bloke who decided he'd drop him in the 3rd and pick up a nice slab from the bookies as well as however many millions from the paying punters and Sky.

Hope nobody wasted too much of their hard-earned on a 1st or 2nd round win for Haye, being as he had absolutely no intention of actually fighting in those rounds anyway.

 

[CHAPPERS]

I covered rounds 4-9 Haye, was screaming at the tele for Fraudley to stand up. Unfortunately Fraudley is a f***ing wimp who can't box.

 

[Gwylan]

But no-one really bats an eyelid about it and Haye's already lining up his next fight. If he'd been a Pakistani cricketer all hell would be let loose.

Anyone would have known it was a fix anyway - there's no way that Harrison would have lasted three rounds if Haye was fighting seriously.

 

[pasty]

Hope nobody wasted too much of their hard-earned on a 1st or 2nd round win for Haye, being as he had absolutely no intention of actually fighting in those rounds anyway.

Nope. But possibly even more ludicrously, I wasted some on a first round KO for (fr)Audley

 

[Nathan]

I remember Eubank always saying he would win in the 3rd round. Had a bet every time, and he never did!

A lot of sports can be like that, snooker, cricket, and darts. You can decide when you want to 'turn it on'. If you have the skill it will work. Unlike team sports for example football, where you depend on other team members to play well and do their job.

 

[beorhthelm]

dont see the problem really. in such a mis-matched fight if he felt he needed to go until the 3rd round, at least the pay-to-viewers thought they got something for their money. or not. whatever, poor bookies punters, my heart bleeds.

 

[Easy 10]

Nope. But possibly even more ludicrously, I wasted some on a first round KO for (fr)Audley

I put 50p on each of rounds 1, 2 and 3 for Fraudley, being as the odds were 60 and 66/1 with Paddy Power. I thought there might be a very slight OFFCHANCE of A-Farce surprising everyone, coming out blazing, and connecting with a lucky left-hander. Once I'd thought about it, I knew I'd be annoyed with myself if I didn't cover it and it had happened. How wrong can you be !

Yup, I'm a MUG punter. But at least I didn't waste much money on it.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I remember Eubank always saying he would win in the 3rd round. Had a bet every time, and he never did!

That makes sense though doesn't it ?

 

[Nathan]

Unfortunately for me it didn’t make financial sense!

Haye was saying that he told his friends and family to bet on him in the 3rd round, rather than he bet on himself to win in the 3rd round.

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

Haye was saying that he told his friends and family to bet on him in the 3rd round, rather than he bet on himself to win in the 3rd round.

So match-fixing then, except you replace 'shady Middle Eastern businessmen' with 'friends and family'.

 

[Easy 10]

He did actually say straight after the "fight" that he'd bet on himself.

 

[Nathan]

So match-fixing then, except you replace 'shady Middle Eastern businessmen' with 'friends and family'.

Yeah, i see your point. However, if he had said that he would go down in the 3rd round, then that would be a different story. He is a sportsman backing himself, in the same way a goal scorer will always back himself to score a pen.

I am sure there will be quotes from Audrey saying he will win the fight. If he had won the fight, and his friends and family had bets on him to win, would that be wrong?

 

[keaton]

Isn't it illegal in most sports to bet on yourself to win?

 

[pasty]

I thought it was only illegal to bet on yourself to lose. Much easier to achieve on purpose.

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

Of course strikers will back themselves to score, but none will say, "lump on me to score between the 46th and 60th minute" though.

 

[Nathan]

Thats because its a team game. You can bet bet on a darts player to score 180 in a leg. Again this comes down to the player having the skill to do so. Its easier to manipulate the game if it is between you and one other person. F**k knows how Bruce Grobbelaar did it for so long.

 

[keaton]

I thought it was only illegal to bet on yourself to lose. Much easier to achieve on purpose.

Certainnly in football it's illegal/against the rules to bet on any match you play in. In the Bury-Accrington Stanley thing a few years back one of the players who got done played for Bury (who won the match)

 

[Monty]

Yeah, i see your point. However, if he had said that he would go down in the 3rd round, then that would be a different story. He is a sportsman backing himself, in the same way a goal scorer will always back himself to score a pen.

I am sure there will be quotes from Audrey saying he will win the fight. If he had won the fight, and his friends and family had bets on him to win, would that be wrong?

I don't think people would have a problem if he said 'I will win within 3 rounds'...but he told his friends and family that he would IN the third round and then admitted not trying in rounds 1 and 2.

Let his fans down big time! I know people who backed him in rounds 1 and 2 (not big money but still feel a bit robbed).

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

What if Haye had said in an interview prior to the fight that he was going to win in three? Didn't Ali use to predict which round he would win in?

 

[Monty]

What if Haye had said in an interview prior to the fight that he was going to win in three? Didn't Ali use to predict which round he would win in?

The difference being (and correct me if im wrong) no one else admits not trying in the rounds leading up to the one they have predicted. Its one thing saying 'he's going down in the 3rd' but still fighting your normal fight and quite another saying 'he's going down in the 3rd' and then dancing around not throwing a punch in the other rounds.