David Haye writes the final scene of the Audley Harrison tragedy

There was thunder before the fight; there were fireworks after the decision was announced. There was neither in between. David Haye retained his WBA heavyweight title at Manchester’s MEN Arena last night against supine failed self-hypnotist and con man Audley Harrison by way of third round stoppage.

Boos resounded to greet Audley. They were doubled on an exit which will, regrettably for all concerned, confirm his place in sporting ignominy for the rest of his days.

Harrison, unique in so many ways, must surely be the only Olympic champion in British sporting history who has been welcomed to an arena with catcalls of ‘Who are yer?’ The general ignorance and disrespect was unfortunately later justified by a performance so bleak that the thousands who had parted with their hard earned cash voiced the angry schadenfreude of paying customers at home with a chilling chorus of ‘You’re shit – and you know you are’. I’ve never seen anything like it. I hope I never do again.

On his entrance to the ring, Harrison (18st 1 1/2 lbs) bowed to the boos on each side of the arena, momentarily looking like someone ready for a prizefight. Haye’s entrance, like his performance and, indeed, his whole professional career, was a stark and welcome contrast to that of his opponent. The black cloud personified by Audley temporarily forgotten, Haye (15st 1/2 lb) cast a sunbeam over the crowd, soaking up the adulation of his masses swaying to the upbeat tempo of the tune he’s made his own, ‘Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now’.

I don’t normally do this as it’s not my style but I’ll share a note I made as Haye turned to the crowd before entering the ring to acknowledge his public: “I have a very ill feeling about tonight.”

For the first few seconds of the fight, Audley got on the front foot though there was very little action. Ridiculous boos began 20 seconds in; the slow handclaps came after 30. It was the archetypal ‘feeling out’ round in which Haye, possibly, did slightly more than Harrison.

The pattern was repeated in round two. There was an exchange of jabs and Haye dived in at one point to no avail. Such was the barrenness that Puerto Rican arbiter Luis Pabon got the biggest cheer of the contest thus far when he called for the fighters to up the tempo. Haye threw in a body shot, Audley backed off again. Haye got a right hook home. Audley, on the ropes, tapped his own head and gestured to the referee. Already, a needless and unjustified sign of discomfort on the challenger’s part. At the bell to end a second tepid round, boos crashed around the full hall.

For a brief moment at the start of the third and final round, I thought Audley might make a go of it. He looked more positive and threw out a few jabs. Not much to write about but in the context of the previous two rounds, a light began to flicker. It was immediately snuffed out by the champion. A right hook connected with Audley’s chin and with it came an instant realisation that he was not, not really, not tonight, a professional boxer who deserved to be in the position he found himself in. What many people already knew was now evident – it was not a question of if Audley was going to be stopped, it was when.

And it was going to be soon. Haye rattled in a barrage of blows and Audley, accompanied by the blood-thirsty roars of those who had come to see a public execution, fell to the canvas, already a broken man. In truth, he was broken before he stepped through the ropes. The single right hand just let him know it.

Audley did one good thing. He got up. Had he quit from the type of assault which previous challenger John Ruiz would have swatted away with contempt, Harrison’s stature would be even lower than it is this morning. A renewed assault from Haye and referee Pabon stepped in to rescue the stricken ‘fighter’.  Time, 1:53.

And thus ended what was arguably the most disappointing night in British boxing history. This is the report. The post-mortem is being conducted. But at the moment, rather like Audley, I just don’t have the stomach for it.