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Repeat For Tony Bellew; No Revenge for David Haye

By Tyler “The Miracle Man” White

In yet another exciting; domestic fight at a sold out O2 Arena, Tony “The Bomber” Bellew secured another stoppage victory against David Haye, doing so this time in a more emphatic and clinical fashion!

The first few rounds saw both men coming out a lot more measured, in comparison with the first fight, with Haye coming out looking to box a lot more; whilst looking considerably looser and more relaxed. Opposite him, a confident and self assured Tony Bellew found his range and stuck to a smart game-plan once again, effectively using his lead hand to measure and his feet to adjust his distance.

In the third round however, the contest really began to ignite as Tony Bellew floored Haye when they both unloaded and exchanged heavy shots within a mid-to close range. Rising unsteadily it appeared that Haye’s legs had gone from underneath him. Whether that be from the powerful hooks thrown by “The Bomber” or partly due to an aggravation of his old injury it is not clear, however, I can only imagine it was a combination of the two.

With Bellew forcing the pace and applying the pressure, it was clear to see that Haye was struggling to match the pace and deal with the sharp and precise shots being thrown at him by the Merseyside fighter.

It’s also looked like Haye was becoming more and more flat-footed as the fight progressed, another reason to suggest that his Achilles injury was still plaguing him and that his body just cannot handle a hard sport as hard as boxing anymore!

In the fifth round, Bellew’s superior sharpness and timing sealed the deal as he heavily floored “The Hayemaker” with an incredible left hook. Haye just about made it to his feet and wanted to carry on but the referee Howard Foster waved the fight off, having seen enough.

A few days ago I predicted that if David Haye could come into the contest fully fit, focused and injury free, that he would be more likely to win the rematch. However, my immediate thoughts after seeing this fight live, lead me to believe that he probably still would have lost even if he was fully fit and injury free…

I say this because – in my opinion – Bellew put in one of his best ever performances and demonstrated just how good he can be when he is on his “A game”. Although he himself admits that Haye is not the fighter he once was, styles make fights and after watching the way both guys boxed tonight, I think that Bellew just has one of them styles which David Haye would’ve always struggled against!

Where do both fighters go now?
In my opinion, retirement.

Bellew has achieved everything he ever set out to achieve and would do well to retire on such a high, having won the World Cruiserweight title at Goodison Park before defeating a former legend in back-to-back sold out fights. Although, I do think that Bellew is a fighter who will get better with age! I don’t think he needs to fight on anymore, but he could definitely afford to if there are some impassable opportunities out there.

Haye has achieved so much in the sport of boxing and his legacy will only be damaged if he continues to fight on. A former Unified World Cruiserweight Champion and former Heavyweight World Champion with some great names and devastating knockout on his resume, surely there is nothing left to prove? Unfortunately, at 37 years of age and with his body prone to injuries, he won’t ever reach the levels he aspires to reach again.

All in all, fans were rewarded with another thrilling fight between the two British rivals with the same result as before, only this time the conclusion is crystal clear.

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