Haye vs bellew - We have become the WWE

For the people asking me about fight I think David Haye is gonna win by knockout in the 2nd or 3rd round! Get behind the Haymaker Britain!!

The above is a direct quote from the Twitter account of Tony Bellew. It was made five years ago but suggests at that time there was very little in the way of antipathy between himself and David Haye. Subsequent to that time Haye has spent the bulk of his time retired through injury so unless I am very much mistaken there has been little happen to have changed his opinion of the man so radically. Now unless you're really stupid what this basically means is the "grudge" between Bellew and Haye is completely fictional, a fugazi, that which does not exist, illusory.

It seems to me Hearn has realised three type of fights that sell. The first are those containing AJ, but he can't fight five times a year so can't carry the full PPV weight on his own. The second type is good fights but those are difficult to make, as both parties want paying well, want to argue over home advantage, stuff like rematch clauses and myriad other things. The third type of fight is a grudge fight, it would appear there are enough idiots out there that will put aside all considerations of whether the fight has the potential to be competitive or excited, it's bound to be good, they really hate each other. We genuinely seem to have reached a stage where a willingness to slag each other off in the press conference is more important than what will happen in the ring.

Last night was just embarrassing. Bellew berating a guy for no apparent reason with the other guy doing a bad job of concealing his joy at the thought he can find his way back onto PPV without having to share a ring with AJ for the privilege. He must genuinely think it is Christmas, his next big payday will either be against a decent heavy hitting heavyweight or a slightly better than average cruiser. Not sure of the dictionary definition of a no-brainer but that must be pretty close.

What is really frustrating is the contempt this rubbish shows for fans. Serve them up any old nonsense as a grudge, they'll be thick enough to lap it up. It reached such a nadir last night that had Shannon Briggs appeared from under the ring and clocked them both with a chair whilst shouting Let's Go Champ it would barely have registered as a surprise. Haye should fight a competent heavyweight, Bellew should try to unify cruiser and anybody who even floats the idea of matching these two should be banished from the sport forever more.

Haye and Matchroom think along the same lines so I would expect this to happen. Its also going to do good numbers so these kind of fights are here to stay while Matchroom are in pole position.

It might be fine they could swing Joshua v Klitschko with Bellew v Haye as the chief support. That would break British ppv records I imagine.

Matchroom might be tempted to get greedy though and keep them as individual ppv events.

Briggs a tad unfortunate that the combination of Fury relinquishing the belts an Bellew usurping him as loudmouth extrodanaire has pushed him back in the David Haye queue of credible fights.

The most pathetic staged tension-free altercation I think I've ever seen Bellew saying he got tonnes of respect for Haye's fighting style on youtube last night why would people want to see it though mismatch beat Usyk Huck etc then you could call it s fight won't be buying it not a chance see it as a mismatch

Hearn won the lottery ....After Bellew and Cleverley had the same after fight fireworks...

Didn't purchase that and it was a better fight on paper than this...

Haye has better skills...chin...power...and is bigger.....

Rowley is flattering Bellew by giving him 3 rounds..

Agree with the OP but it will sell wildly as he and more importantly Hearn knows..

Nothing fight....and Haye has had enough easy money..BUT

"It's the fight the public wants and (like Cleverly) the loser will have nowhere to go!!"

Isn't Haye about 2 stone over the Cruiserweight limit nowadays? Given there is no way he'll drop that much weight to make this fight, does that mean it will be at heavyweight?

Bellow's performance did look very similar to that in Creed though. Acting lessons must have come in handy to try and manufacture something here!

The first knockdown for Flores the punch seemed to miss

I think where Matchroom are fortunate is that the British public will seemingly buy anything. The actual sport side of boxing seems to be taking an increasing back seat in comparison to the "event". Market something enough on Sky (whether its an individual or an upcoming event), and I get the feeling that almost any fight could do ok on ppv.

Matchroom dont really need a fight of any particular calibre to create a ppv event. If a big fight or a good fight isnt available, dont worry, just pick any old fight and let Sky marketing do the rest. Bellew v Cleverly, Joshua v Whyte, Brook v Gavin etc.

Beating Makabu and Flores doesn't set up a mega fight starting to wish Eddy would fuc£ off fed up with that crooked smile now

Very patronising too saying boxing fans are 'becoming more educated'

Doesn't bellew have to deal with bredis first?

I wouldn't begrudge Bellew the Haye fight if he beat Breidis...

Then you could say he'd beaten a decent cruiserweight...

As for Eddy well he at least he always pays his fighters I think he'll be around a long time to come not as bad as some I guess it's just these unworthy ppv's really rankle this one now getting in the way of some good fights at cruiserweight Bellew getting topped by Haye then retiring

I said it before bellew cleverly 2... It was a test. If the public could buy that they'd buy any tosh. Barry taught Eddie how to sell a grudge to the British public, he understands what Joe public considers entertainment. It's not aimed at traditional boxing fans. At the moment there's a market for it, like there was for gladiators... Like there is for WWW.

It's sad but there you go... Mismatchroom have the reins.

He's quite useful Breidis

Bellew auditioning for panto villain or embittered hero desperate for a redemption no-one understands, gives a f*ck about or, quite frankly, believes. Utterly farcical state of affairs which makes the Audley/Haye grudge look like Ali/Frazier. Haye should walk away but if Eddie persists with this then more fool him. A fool and his money are soon parted and Haye should take Matchroom for whatever they're prepared to throw at him.

I'd have Breidis as better than Mormeck but not quite as good as Usyk Bellew Haye is a nothing fight Bellew still hasn't established himself as a good cruiserweight

There's actually a lot more genuine animosity in WWE than these boxing "grudge" matches, most of the results are less certain than a Haye vs Bellew fight would be as well.

Its totally fabricated this, although possibly Bellew might not have figured it out yet. Matchroom and Haye probably sounded this one out ages ago and Hearn has planted the idea in Bellews head and just let Bellew be Bellew. Hopefully they stick it on the Joshua undercard.

Seems almost certain Haye bellew will happen at some point, didn't Eddie say something about how he doesn't need to sell this fight?
Offer the right cash, which haye needs, bellew wants the credit/prevent the kids starving to death overnight and you could nearly see the £ signs rolling in fast eddies eyes.
Haye won't move down so bellew will just pile on the flab like he did last time he moved up and it will be sold as great British heavyweight grudge match. The online war of words to start hyping it up to commence soon no doubt.

Bredis can crack but he looked very wild to me

Good fight

On the subject of bellew piling on the flab... He carries a bit of a spare tyre at cruiser... Maybe he should give more of his food to those starving kids

Quite useful Breidis first real test for Bellew at cruiserweight

milkyboy wrote:On the subject of bellew piling on the flab... He carries a bit of a spare tyre at cruiser... Maybe he should give more of his food to those starving kids

Agreed, no way he makes HW and is effective. Of course the longer Haye "ducks" him, the more desperate Bellew will get and agree to fight at HW for an increased purse (kids will be fed so that's OK) and gets annihilated. Still, hopefully there's an actual real live genuinely good fight that Haye can take up at HW so this farce can die a much needed death.

Whilst weight draining can have an impact, the idea of someone who got put on queer Street by Adonis Stevenson (big hitter though he is), taking a right hand from haye....

I can see some pleasure to be drawn from seeing him stretched out on the canvas... But it would upset those hungry kids so I won't be party to it by wasting my cash.

Maybe the kids could turn to cannibalism and feast on the carcass of their fallen father

Thought Bellew looked genuinely annoyed at Haye when talking about conning the public, still think he gets taken out inside 2 though and honestly don't see the difference between Haye's last 2 fights and one against Bellew (still like the guy though so stuff you lot :-) )

Derbymanc wrote:Thought Bellew looked genuinely annoyed at Haye when talking about conning the public, still think he gets taken out inside 2 though and honestly don't see the difference between Haye's last 2 fights and one against Bellew (still like the guy though so stuff you lot :-) )

Although the irony of him trying to entice Haye into a fake grudge match is obviously lost on him

That's what i meant at the bottom Dave. Would love to know if Bellew genuinely thinks he has a chance at heavyweight or whether he's trying to force him to come down in weight (something Haye won't do)

Even as a bomber fan though I won't pay for this unless the undercards is amazing (or it's chief support to AJ vs Wlad)

DAVE667 wrote:

Derbymanc wrote:Thought Bellew looked genuinely annoyed at Haye when talking about conning the public, still think he gets taken out inside 2 though and honestly don't see the difference between Haye's last 2 fights and one against Bellew (still like the guy though so stuff you lot :-) )

Although the irony of him trying to entice Haye into a fake grudge match is obviously lost on him

Irony is bang on the correct word. Accusing Haye of conning the public but in his mind Haye fighting the 5th best CW in the world with a suspect chin and a loss to Nathan Cleverley on his resume is in some way credible? Genuinely cannot stand melted pigface and actually hope he gets the fight just to see him get splattered the second a jab lands.

If this fight happens it will be the second time Tony Bellew has headlined a PPV fight. Tony Bellew!!

I have nothing against the bloke but does anyone see a PPV star when you watch him?

Rowley wrote:If this fight happens it will be the second time Tony Bellew has headlined a PPV fight. Tony Bellew!!

I have nothing against the bloke but does anyone see a PPV star when you watch him?

Porky, Petulant, Verbose

I look forward to seeing Haye step up his competition.

Granted Bellew isn't Ali, but he beats local roid head bouncers.

David Haye has to be the best salesman of the last 20 years in British Boxing. Sold 20k for his comeback against a bouncer and has received millions for fights against Audley Harrison, John Ruiz and now potentially Bellew.

Pedro147 wrote:David Haye has to be the best salesman of the last 20 years in British Boxing. Sold 20k for his comeback against a bouncer and has received millions for fights against Audley Harrison, John Ruiz and now potentially Bellew.

For such a talented fighter, his record is not great.

Haye is a gifted boxer and should be known as one of the best ever from these shores.

I can't get that wound up with Haye on this one. His business model is well established and apparent to everyone. He wants the maximum reward for the minimum risk. In order for that to work it needs fans, TV companies and Promoters to facilitate it. The fact he can still find all three willing to allow him to get away with it is the truly staggering thing.

Rowley wrote:I can't get that wound up with Haye on this one. His business model is well established and apparent to everyone. He wants the maximum reward for the minimum risk. In order for that to work it needs fans, TV companies and Promoters to facilitate it. The fact he can still find all three willing to allow him to get away with it is the truly staggering thing.

Thought even Haye looked bemused at what he was witnessing on Saturday. Could imagine the producer screaming in his earpiece, "Look frightened David, look angry, look like there's real beef between you" Then again, given his acting career didn't take off, maybe he WAS giving us his full range of emotion and just wasn't a very good actor, after all, which of the two boxers was recently in Hollywood, eh?

Love to have seen Bellew v Kovalev

I read Matchroom have provisionally booked the O2 and Sky Box Office for March 4 for Haye v Bellew.

I did think they might at least offer this as chief support for Joshua v Klitschko. But sheesh, another PPV all on its now.

It's my birthday on the fifth! What a present!

"It's mouthwatering isn't it johnny !!"

It's a really depressing fight, presumably Haye ditches fighting in December for this.

It is what it is......I won't be buying it but Haye fills up the o2 for journeymen so there is a market for him and Bellew v Cleverly sold....

Shrug of the shoulders and move on...

AdamT wrote:

Pedro147 wrote:David Haye has to be the best salesman of the last 20 years in British Boxing. Sold 20k for his comeback against a bouncer and has received millions for fights against Audley Harrison, John Ruiz and now potentially Bellew.

For such a talented fighter, his record is not great.

Haye is a gifted boxer and should be known as one of the best ever from these shores.

Massive stretch. Talent is more than just sipping a few potions to generate quick, explosive punches.

Haye's technique isn't great, he blows after five rounds and has a shaky chin. Talent is more than what you can dish out.

Does Bellew dislike every fighter he gets in the ring with?

BoxingFan88 wrote:Does Bellew dislike every fighter he gets in the ring with?

Only if they stop him seeing or feeding his kids.

This was never going to be support to Joshua v Wlad.

I think Eddie sees Haye as a nice PPV name opponent for Bellew. Sadly, Haye may actually knock him out with a jab.

You've only got to wait until 6pm today to find out who Haye's next opponent will be....
tick tock tick tock.....

BoxingFan88 wrote:Does Bellew dislike every fighter he gets in the ring with?

I wonder if he's ever considered what the common demoninator is?

So Haye's big 6pm announcement was that he wants to take on cancer?

In other news: WBA have installed cancer at number two in its ratings.

... When he's defeated cancer, he plans to take on Sagittarius