Repeat vs Revenge
Coming out this fight was billed as a ‘repeat or revenge’ type scenario. For David Haye, it was about getting some revenge after a humiliating defeat in March last year. For Haye, he simply had to win.
Bellew on the overhand was focused on showing the world he doesn’t do fluke victories.
How it Happened
The big moment happened in the 5th round, 2 minutes and 14 seconds in. David Haye’s body doesn’t seem to be up to the task anymore despite his mental commitment to the sport.
The referee on the night, Howard Foster, was tasked with the judgment call of stopping the fight in one of the most dramatic rounds in British Boxing’s recent history. Already coming off of being dropped twice in the 3rd round, Haye was also left face-down at one point after a beautiful left hook from the Creed star Tony Bellew.
David Haye has had an Illustrious Career
The David Haye we know as a silver medalist (2001 World Championships), the fighter we saw destroy Alexander Goruv in less than 60 seconds in 2005 which lead to a successful cruiserweight title victory in 2007 against Jean-Marc Mormeck and then a unification of those same belts in 2008 in a bought vs Enzo Maccarinelli. – That David Haye is, unfortunately, a shadow of his former self.
Some of Bellew’s critics will put Haye’s ring rust down to his loss, fighting only 4 times since 2012. However, the tenacious nature of Bellew is what won him this fight, make no mistake.
In their first encounter in March 2017, David Hate ruptured his Achilles Tendon in round 6 of the fight, many felt that Haye beat himself with the injury and if both were fully fit it would be a no contest for the 38-year-old. This time, however, Bellew did exactly what he said, wanted and needed to do, a beautifully inspired performance made Haye look as amateurish as he has in over a decade.
Coming into the fight many Bellew fans felt that the catalogue of injuries and the lack of in-ring experience since 2012 it would be a fight too far for the Hayemaker. And those people were correct. Haye’s body is finally showing all the signs of age in his 38th year.
May 5th, however, was all about Tony Bellew. His sharpness, game planning, and speed left Haye gasping for his breathe after only 2 rounds. Let me say that again David Haye looked gassed after 2 rounds!
I think we’ve seen Haye’s last fight play out, He wasn’t given a fairytale send-off by any means but David Haye will go down as one of the best fighters in recent British boxing history.
Enjoy retirement David Haye.
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