 Haye said he wanted to go 12 rounds to prepare for challenges ahead |
David Haye produced an uninspired display but did enough to retain his European cruiserweight title with a points decision over Ismail Abdoul. Haye adopted a cautious approach against his durable opponent, claiming he had deliberately restricted himself to three right-hand punches per round.
Nevertheless, Haye was always in control thanks to his effective jab.
"I was happy with my performance - I wanted to win this fight with my jab and go 12 rounds," said Haye.
The 27-year-old is hoping to get a world title shot against undisputed champion O'Neill Bell, having been installed as the WBC's number one contender.
"I've got a big fight coming up and it's nice to get 12 rounds in the bank. I didn't get caught with any silly shots and kept blocking.
"It went pretty much punch for punch to plan.
"I saw it as an exercise in going through the motions - there was no need to
dominate him. But I would produce a completely different type of performance for O'Neil Bell."
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