By Adam Godfrey: A potential fight between recently returned British Heavyweight David Haye and current WBC Cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew must, according to Haye, take place at Heavyweight, if it is to occur at all. Haye has not fought at Cruiserweight for 8 years, and considering his advancing age and only recent return from retirement, it is unlikely that he’ll be able to come down to the 200lb weight limit without being severely weight-drained.
‘I’m not going to go back down to a less-glamorous division than the one I’m in now for a loud-mouthed guy like him’, Haye told Mirror Sport.
‘I’ve heard all the Bellew talk. He’s been very, very vocal about going up to heavyweight and doing a number on me and knocking me out.’
Haye would arguably outweigh Bellew by around a stone on fight night that, even in the heavyweight division, would be a sizeable advantage for the Londoner, both in terms of power and punch resistance, especially considering that Bellew has never been hit by a Heavyweight in anger before.
To secure victory Bellew would aim to nullify Haye’s superior mobility and dexterity by drawing him into a war. Despite the likely size difference Bellew has enough natural power to cause Haye problems, provides he gives himself the opportunity to land clean and often. He would also work on the presumption that Haye has not fully shaken off the ring rust that would have built up during retirement, thanks to the poor nature of his opponents since a ring-return.
Bellew successfully defended his WBC belt on Saturday, albeit against an opponent who was clearly overmatched. The fight against Flores will do nothing to allay question marks over his long term future as a World Champion, and if Bellew decides against fighting Haye and instead remains at Cruiserweight he will need to prove his mettle against one of the more prominent fighters in the division, such as Marco Huck, Denis Lebedev or Krzysztof Glowacki. A big money fight against Haye makes sense for Bellew even if his long-term future belongs in the division below.
As it currently stands Haye v Bellew is not a PPV worthy fight, even in the UK. However, Bellew has shown a penchant for effective trash talking throughout his career and is always willing to engage in verbal sparring with an opponent. Press conferences involving the Liverpudlian and current WBA Light Heavyweight ‘Regular’ champion Nathan Cleverly were particularly tense, and boiled over on a number of occasions.
David Haye shares this willingness to run the rule over his opponents and is also adept at playing mind games. A build up featuring the eloquently spoken rhetoric of Haye versus the more primal barbs of Bellew is mouthwatering, and it is difficult to imagine that meetings between the two would be anything other than electric. An effective promotion of the fight needs to draw on the dislike both men have for each other, and if managed properly could yet elevate the match-up to a PPV worthy status.
Of Haye, Tony Bellew told the Mirror;
‘I beat Haye’s playboy friend and I’d beat him. He’s been wobbled, rocked and hurt so many times by lesser fighters than me. If I hit him clean, I will wipe him out’.
Ultimately the result of a fight between the pair will depend on who is able to more successfully impose their style upon the other. If Haye can avoid being caught cleanly by one of Bellew’s bigger shots the Boxing world could witness a drab affair with Haye successfully boxing Bellew to a comfortable unanimous decision. Haye, of course, also possesses the power to finish the fight within 12 rounds, and a knockout win for Haye is far from inconceivable. Both men would certainly be entering the fight expecting to win and the fight will be an interesting one, even for the build-up alone.