DAVID HAYE made the unusual move of revealing his fight strategy at Thursday’s press conference for his rematch with Tony Bellew.
It wasn’t the only surreal moment at the Park Plaza Westminster hotel. After Bellew likened Adam Moralee’s idiosyncratic speech in Liverpool to Will from The Inbetweeners, James Buckley, who plays Jay in the television show, barged into the press conference to hand Morallee a briefcase and a pair of glasses.
Bellew seemed nonplussed. “I don’t really know what else to say,” he said.
The Liverpudlian wasn’t buying the gameplan Haye unveiled he would employ on Saturday at the O2. Haye is looking to take Bellew into the later rounds, to grind him down and stop the Liverpudlian in the second half of the fight. “I don’t believe the fight will go early,” David said. “Ismael Salas said the first six rounds are about chopping him down and breaking him up.”
Bellew hit back. “David Haye has never done that in his whole life,” Tony said. “Boxing is a sport where fighters do not get better as they get older.”
“You’re going to have to do things that you don’t really want to do,” he told his rival.
“I don’t like the look of him. I just want to punch him,” Bellew warned. “Don’t be fooled… The mask comes off on Saturday and the gloves go on.”
Haye’s determination was clear. “For me that’s the worst finish to any career that I could have,” the former heavyweight champion said. “It would feel like I had undone all of the great nights I’ve had over the years.
“Everything is on the line here, my reputation, everything. My whole soul is on the line here.”
The spite between has been slowly burning ahead of this rematch. The two had to be pulled apart at the face off. The stage is set for Saturday night.
