I’ll keep my cool
DAVID HAYE says he will not let Tony Bellew psyche him out this time.
The ex-cruiserweight and heavyweight world champion admits he lost the plot before their first clash last year, which ended with Bellew stopping him in the 11th round.
Back then, Haye swore at Bellew, made vile threats to his rival and even shouted at fans at a press conference.
But ahead of Saturday’s rematch at the O2, Haye believes keeping his cool will be the key to victory, after his wild performance last time out saw him rupture his Achilles in the sixth round.
“I came in angry, I came in screaming and shouting, whooping and hollering and said some horrendous things to the good people of Liverpool,” he said.
“I paid the ultimate price because I talked big and then underperformed terribly. All the big talk I dished out, he made me eat my words. This time round, I want to – and this sounds a bit of a cliche – let my fighting do the talking. I don’t need a sports psychologist to tell me the way I was effing and blinding the last time I was in Liverpool was the wrong mindset to have.
“I’m not going to lower myself to that again. Last time I lowered myself to it and that’s where he is. He’s in the gutter, that’s where he performs.
“He played a masterful game last time. That’s not going to happen this time. He’s going to be playing my
game.” Haye was injured halfway through their first clash, but even before then it was one of his worst displays, as he went looking for a big knockout from the first bell.
“It was painful,” he said. “I analysed it and it was tough to watch. I’m thinking, ‘What are you doing?’
“The punches I was throwing, if I had watched someone else do that, I’d have said, ‘Boxing ain’t for you, mate. You haven’t got what it takes to even make it past Southern Area level’.”
Meanwhile, Eddie Hearn has set a three-week deadline to strike a deal for Anthony Joshua to face Deontay Wilder this year. The WBA, IBF and WBO champion’s promoter wants more information from Wilder’s team on their £36million offer, which would be the highest purse in heavyweight history.
Hearn has been frustrated by the WBC king’s reluctance to disclose the full details unless he accepts it first.
But he remains confident a deal can be agreed and hopes to secure a meeting with Wilder’s team when he returns to New York next week.
“We’ve two or three weeks to do this. I’m in New York again next week and then those talks can continue,” said Hearn.
“I can’t give them an answer on do we accept their offer until they give me answers on quite a few things – the date and venue for example. That matters to us. If it’s in England, then it’s much more likely we would take the fight.
“Also, is there a rematch? What channel is it on? What control do we have? AJ is interested, but there is loads we need to know. But there is a good chance it could happen.” FRANK WARREN has confirmed Tyson Fury’s comeback fight on June 9 will be live on BT Sport, while Carl Frampton will be in action at Windsor Park on August 18.