The build-up to the heavyweight grudge match between former world champion David Haye and current WBC cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew has been nothing but intense, lethal and ferocious. All barriers seem to have been broken.
In the final pre-fight press conference on Thursday, Haye, 36, insulted Bellew's fans by calling them "f***ing retards." The legendary Floyd Mayweather soon took a dig at Haye and mentioned that you can trash talk, but you have no business disrespecting people.
This is just a snippet of how things are developing ahead of the fight. Last November, during a press-conference at the Dorchester Hotel in London, a verbal war during a staredown between Haye and Bellew had also turned physical.
Bellew, 34, might have looked calmer than his British compatriot during the press conference, stating that he would only go for a win and not make things personal as Haye claims. But this is exactly how intriguing we want things to be!
"I don't know if we will embrace at the end. I'm not sure if the paramedics will get on the floor and let me embrace him," Haye made a chilling remark about what would happen post their fight.
Bellew recently made a cameo appearance in Sylvester Stallone-starrer Creed, which portrayed the life of an ageing Rocky Balbao and Apollo Creed's son. Haye claims that although Bellew hopes to, there is no chance in hell that the Liverpool fighter would have a fairytale Rocky-like ending.
"Bellew is completely delusional if he thinks he can beat me. He still thinks he's on the set of Creed and there will be some kind of Rocky style happy ending," said Haye. But come March 4th at The O2 I will bring reality crashing down on him," he said.
Boxing record so far
David Haye: 28-2-0
Tony Bellew: 28-2-1
Fight format
12 rounds of three minute duration each.
Fight schedule
Date: March 4
Time: 10:30 pm GMT onwards approx (5:30 pm EST, 4 am IST [Sunday])
Venue: O2 Arena, London
TV guide: Sky Sports Box Office (UK), AWE TV network (USA).
