David Haye hobbled back into the spotlight , his lower right leg sheathed in bandages and plaster after an operation to repair the ankle damage that led to his dramatic defeat by Tony Bellew, and declared he was “100%” going to fight on – hopefully against his conqueror.
Haye said the prognosis on shredded tendons in his ankle was encouraging enough for him to remain in the sport at 36 and he had not given up on his quest for another world title. “It’s completely unrelated to my [previous] right achilles injury,” he said. “It was a complete anomaly.”
Bellew, who holds the WBC’s cruiserweight belt, shocked the former world heavyweight champion in front of a live audience of 20,000 at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday night – as well as more than 700,000 pay-per-view customers on Sky – by taking Haye’s heaviest shots when he had the use of both legs, then grinding him down for a stoppage in the 11th round.
But the loser, derided for claiming a bruised toe had hampered his performance when losing to Wladimir Klitschko on points five years ago, also gained wide respect for his bravery in lasting as long as he did on one leg against Bellew.
“I was proud of my performance. It was a tough, tough night at the office but I knew I was alive in there. Even on one leg I thought I could knock Tony Bellew out. I was gutted when Shane McGuigan threw the towel in. But maybe it saved me for another day. He said he’d do it again. If he gives me a rematch, I’ll give him a rubber match. I’ve never had that [rivalry] like other fighters. Maybe Tony Bellew is my Benn-Eubank.”
Haye said of the injury: “It felt like my leg went into a bear trap [when he lost his footing in the sixth round]. I looked at my foot. I couldn’t control it. I’ve never had anything happen to me like that. I never for once thought I would give up. In fight mode, you’re willing to die. If the same injury had happened to Tony Bellew, he would have done the same. It’s what fighters do. He had a damaged hand, as well.”
The British Boxing Board of Control has called Haye before a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday to explain his intemperate remarks before the fight, when he threatened to put his opponent in hospital. In mitigation Haye told Sky Sports, “Out of the ring you can’t expect us to be 100% normal all the time. What we say in the lead-up to a fight is one thing. Once you share a ring with someone, go to war with someone... you have a different type of respect for someone. I didn’t know him that well. But I know he is a true warrior, like I am. His heart is as big as a lion’s. It was nice to stand in front of him and have no animosity. The respect was there.”
Also scheduled for an appearance in front of the BBBC disciplinary committee in May is the suspended former heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury. The board says there are “a number of issues” to resolve before it considers lifting a suspension of his licence for a positive drugs test. Fury, meanwhile, announced he would return to the ring in Leeds in May, possibly with an Irish licence.
Fury said on Facebook: “I will be boxing on a BUI [Boxing Union of Ireland] license from now on. I want nothing more to do with the British Boxing Board of Control, all they do is fine me anyways.”
Across town earlier on Tuesday, Floyd Mayweather swept through the imposing halls of The Savoy hotel to unveil his latest prodigy, the unbeaten IBF super-featherweight champion Gervonta Davis, but even boxing’s most accomplished control freak could not dampen speculation that he was headed for a showdown against the UFC superstar, Conor McGregor.
Normally as adroit at slipping uncomfortable questions as he did punches in a 49-0 career, Mayweather dropped his defences long enough to reveal he was sending a fight contract to the Irishman and wants it signed quickly.
In a video interview after a press conference to announce Davis’s first defence of his title, at the Copperbox Arena in London on 20 May against Cromer’s Liam Walsh, Mayweather suggested that all that is preventing him returning to the ring against McGregor in the United States this summer is a deal without enough noughts on it, and McGregor’s reservations.
“Conor McGregor blowing smoke up everybody ass,” Mayweather said. “He don’t really wanna fight. If he really wanna fight, sign the contract. He keep tellin’ everybody I’m scared of [him]. This what I’m going to do: I’m going to get a contract typed up tonight. I’m gonna sign it and I’m gonna fax it over to Conor McGregor. See if he gonna sign it. Conor McGregor, you a bitch.”
The pretence that the press conference was about Davis, a fine new champion, and the undefeated Walsh, became increasingly unsustainable. The champion and the challenger have excellent skills and share interesting back stories of poverty, setbacks and struggle, but nobody upstages Mayweather.
He admitted he had never seen Walsh box, and at one point referred to him as Leon, but said he would encourage 22-year-old Davis – a softly spoken street kid from Baltimore who revealed he was too “bad” to take up an offer of a bit part in The Wire – would not underestimate him.
Whether he fights again or not, Mayweather has made a good start as a promoter and promised to return to the UK, where he has a considerable fan base. However, he had to employ a verbal shoulder roll when asked how and why a hired limousine bearing his TMT (The Money Team) logo went up in flames in a Birmingham carpark on Saturday night, outside one of his several speaking engagements.
“Look, my automobiles [of which there are close to 100] are in the US,” he said, smiling. “But I like this story, so thank you. You see TMT trucks in Africa, Russia, in Dubai. You see them everywhere. So if a TMT truck catches fire, it doesn’t mean that it’s my truck. My stay has always been great. Royal treatment.”
And with that, the semi-retired monarch of boxing headed for another limousine laid on for him, his quiet petit prince not far behind him.
