Bitter British rivals David Haye and Tony Bellew to fight at heavyweight
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Updated 25/11/2016 at 16:24 GMT
David Haye and Tony Bellew will fight each other at heavyweight on March 4 at London's O2 Arena.
ony Bellew looks towards David Haye at ringside after winning the fight.
Image credit: Eurosport
The fight has been in the pipeline for some time with Bellew taunting Haye, 36, from the ring after he completed a third-round KO of BJ Flores in October to defend his WBC cruiserweight title.
It will be Bellew's first fight at heavyweight, and will be the biggest British fight since Carl Froch knocked out George Groves in the eighth round for the world super-middleweight title in 2014.
The country is fed up of his constant yapping," said Haye. "Even in his home town of Liverpool, I would be stopped in the street by people begging me to spectacularly send him into retirement.
"Bellew is completely delusional if he thinks he can beat me. He still thinks he's on the set of Creed and there will be some kind of Rocky-style happy ending.
"But come March 4 at The O2 in London I will bring reality crashing down on him."
Bellew, 33, who won the WBC title against Ilunga Makabu at Everton's Goodison Park in May sees it differently.
I've backed him into a corner, left him nowhere to go, and now I have what I want," said Bellew. "I'm not under any illusions, I know exactly what I am going up against, it's big risk, big reward.
"I cop him with my best punch, he's going to sleep. He cops me with his best punch, more than likely I am going to sleep too."
"I know what I am up against but the big factor for me is, I'm a very active fighter, I've had no breaks and I've got very little wear and tear on me. If it comes down to a question of heart and determination, I win hands down. If it comes down to one punch, it's a 50-50."
Our view - who wins?
Plenty of trash talking between the two to sell the fight, which is always a bit tiresome, but when you stand back and analyse how this will unravel, it is difficult to see past Haye. Haye has the advantage being a heavyweight with Bellew having to move up a weight to make the fight.
Promoter Eddie Hearn has said that he has had to apply for a special licence to finalise the fight at boxing's top weight with Bellow a natural cruiserweight. He claims Haye is not a natural heavyweight despite his success in becoming WBA world champion in 2009 having unified the cruiserweight division a year earlier.
Bellew says he will have the heart and guts to win the bout if it goes beyond four rounds and believes Haye would quit at that point, but Haye should have the pace and power to get the job done in the early rounds. Haye is 1/7 with Bellew a 9/2 shot.
At least the money should soothe Bellew's woes if he is counted out.
Heavyweights earn the serious money, and this will be a lucrative night for both men with the winner probably eyeing another all-British bout with Anthony Joshua or even a fit Tyson Fury further down the line.
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