Tony Oakey Cokeys to victory by Oliver Fennell Feb 1st 2008

Sometimes, the form guide isn't worth the paper it's printed on. More often, it is the intangible factor of momentum which better points to who might win a fight. And so it was on Friday night in London's York Hall, as British light-heavyweight titleholder Tony Oakey scored revenge over former English champ and former conqueror Peter Haymer. The home city challenger had the form – a 2005 victory over Oakey – but the champion had the momentum, having gone undefeated in six contests since their last meeting. Haymer, meanwhile, was coming in on the back of two consecutive defeats. This difference in fortunes made all the difference, as a confident and energised Oakey punched his way to an impressive ninth-round knockout over his old rival. The Portsmouth man had established his supremacy long before the finish, and by the time the fight entered its final third, it was more a question of whether Oakey could force a stoppage than whether or not he would win. A tiring Haymer had been planting his feet more as the fight wore on, and as the points deficit grew, so did his urgency to inject more spite into his work. It was committing himself to a big left hook that left him open to a harder and faster one from Oakey. The blow felled him near his own corner and left him without the means to rise, even with what seemed to be a generous interpretation of the 10 count by referee Mickey Vann. But it had all started so promisingly for the Londoner. The opening two rounds were his, as he repeatedly caught Oakey on the way in, his longer arms making all the difference. Oakey, five inches shorter, was attempting the impossible in trying to outjab his rangy foe. When his lead hand fell short, he was either picked off by Haymer's own straight punches or claimed in a clinch – a feature of their first fight and one which was of frustration to Oakey. But this time he did not let the hit-and-hold tactics fluster him. Instead, he could sometimes be seen smiling when Haymer held him, and at other times he would biff away if he had a free hand. He also made a point of wrestling with Haymer in the clinches, and it was this as much as the punches which drained the challenger's stamina reserves. As early as the third round, Haymer was staying in range that one second longer, allowing Oakey to get in shots which had missed in the opening two sessions. I gave the champion his first round, and there would be no looking back. By round four, Haymer seemed to have forgotten what had worked so well earlier. Either that, or Oakey was no longer allowing him to do it. Whatever, it was obvious Haymer was standing his ground more, and while he was having success at times, it did seem he was fighting Oakey's fight. A big right near the end of the round lifted Haymer onto one leg; the first real evidence of either man being hurt (Oakey fought with a bruised right eye from round three, but it was never a factor). Accordingly, Oakey pounced at the start of round five. He couldn't finish his man, but then Oakey has always been about grinding opponents down rather than blasting them out. It was money in the bank for that ninth-round payoff. Oakey was all over Haymer for the rest of the session, as the challenger was unable to keep any distance between himself and the marauding beltholder. A change of tactics was required, and round six saw him trying to hurt Oakey rather than outbox him. The uppercut worked well at times, slipping between Oakey's gloves as he marched in, but there was no substance behind it. A big Oakey rally knocked Haymer's head from side to side in round seven. It was classic slugger material, but Oakey does not punch as hard as those with his style usually do. Still, he had boundless energy and it was this workrate which was proving decisive. Gritting his teeth, Haymer enjoyed his best round for a while in the eighth, countering accurately if without potency, and it looked as though he might be getting a second wind. But then came the knockout in the next session. Haymer had given it his all, but then so had Oakey. The difference must have lain in the immeasurable concept of momentum. A final note on the subject of their recent records: Back-to-back defeats need not automatically disqualify boxers from challenging for championships, but I do wonder in this case why the British Boxing Board of Control accepted Haymer as a challenger for this title. Not because of the losses as plain statistics, but because he had lost to another British fighter in his previous contest, dropping an eight-round decision to Paul David in May. Surely it should have been David, not Haymer, in this ring tonight? At least Haymer should have beaten another ranked contender since the David defeat. But never mind the politics, Haymer's current championship standing was put in place in the only place it matters – in the ring. Having gained valuable revenge, Oakey can now look forward to more glory nights.

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