5. Giacobbe Fragomeni – November 17 2006
Two years earlier, Haye’s inexperience, and over eagerness to render veteran Carl Thompson unconscious, backfired. The wily, unbreakable Thompson, stopped an exhausted Haye in the fifth round.
Seven victories later, when faced with the relentless Giaccobe Fragomeni, Haye displayed an ability to box both efficiently and intelligently. Despite a laceration above his left eye which had been leaking blood from the seventh round onwards, Haye retained the precision and punch power necessary to stop his rugged, durable opponent after nine competitively fought rounds.
Fragomeni bounced back, winning the WBC cruiserweight title in 2008.
