Bellew-Haye 2 on same date as Canelo-GGG 2 possible rematch on May 5

By Boxing News - 12/05/2017 - Comments

Image: Bellew-Haye 2 on same date as Canelo-GGG 2 possible rematch on May 5

By Scott Gilfoid: The May 5th rematch for the Tony Bellew vs. David Haye 2 fight places it on the same date for the possible rematch between IBF/IBO/WBA/WBC middleweight champion Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.

Since the British boxing fans will need to pay to see the non-title fight between Bellew and Haye on Sky Box Office PPV, don’t be surprised if promoter Eddie Hearn looks to set up a package deal in which the fans purchase both Bellew-Haye 2 and Canelo-GGG 2 in a double-header on Sky Box Office. I can see that happening.

Bellew vs. Haye 2 will take place earlier in the evening in the UK. For the fans in the UK that want to stick around to watch the Canelo vs. GGG 2 rematch, they would need to stay up late to watch it much later. If Hearn can setup a package deal for the UK boxing fans, they might get the two fights at a decent price rather than having to order each one separately.

It’s hard to imagine the fans being more interested in ordering a non-title fight between Bellew and Haye over a middleweight world title match-up between Canelo and Golovkin. We’re talking 2 middleweights in their prime of their careers in Canelo and Golovkin. Bellew and Haye are 2 guys that are the downside of their careers, and they’re fighting in the heavyweight division, which isn’t suited to their body size.

We’re not talking about the best heavyweights in the division, are we? Haye and Bellew are decent fringe level heavyweights at best, but it’s pretty much impossible to picture either of them going on to world honors after they face each other on May 5 at the O2 Arena in London, UK. At best, the winner of the fight, if it’s Bellew, can get a nice retirement payday fight against Tyson Fury. If Haye beats Bellew, his situation won’t be nearly as solid. There won’t be a Tyson Fury fight for Haye. That’s not happening in this lifetime. Haye blew his chance to fight Fury several years ago after he suffered 2 injuries that led to the cancellation of their fights.

If Haye beats Bellew, he’s going to need to keep winning for a while until Hearn decides to finally let him fight his flagship fighter Anthony Joshua. My guess is Hearn won’t pull the trigger on that fight until he’s deemed Haye as harmless to Joshua due to his advanced age. It might take a year or two before Hearn decides that Haye is safe to put in with Joshua. With the way Haye is breaking down physically during his training camps, I don’t see him ever getting the fight with Joshua. That’s the sad part. Hearn should let Haye get a crack at Joshua if he gets past Bellew on May 5, but I don’t see that happening. That won’t happen. Haye is still too dangerous, and he’s not one of Hearn’s Matchroom Sport stable fighters. In other words, Haye has 2 strikes against him when it comes to him getting a big payday fight with Joshua. Those 2 strikes will be enough for Haye to be put skipped over when it comes to Hearn scheduling fights for Joshua. Bellew isn’t in the same situation. He’ll get a fight against Tyson Fury if he beats Haye. Bellew could get a fight against Joshua if he wanted one, but he doesn’t fancy that fight. Hearn would clearly give Bellew the fight with Joshua if he asked for it. Bellew might as well ask for it, but for some reason he doesn’t want the fight.

”I now have a very clear plan for 2018 and that is to knock out David Haye and then knock out Tyson ‘Stavros Flatley’ Fury and end both their careers but first things first I need to rid the sport of David Haye on May 5,” said Bellew.