Bellew may join Haye and retire
TONY BELLEW could retire after blowing David Haye away in five rounds at the O2 Arena.
Bellew rightly earned the plaudits as he delivered on his pre-fight promise to stop Haye inside eight rounds and pick up back-to-back wins over his bitter rival.
This time there was no injury to blame but Haye definitely should pack it in after Saturday’s defeat.
The two-weight world champion had already said he may quit regardless of the result – and did not impress.
Now the Londoner says he needs to review the fight before making a decision but it will not make pretty viewing.
When he goes over the tape he will see a brilliant Bellew totally take him apart while he looked a shadow of the man who once reigned as king of the cruiserweights and as WBA heavyweight champion.
Haye, 37, refused to attend the post-fight press conference on Saturday night to speak further about why he could continue but those close to him were refusing to rule out a return to the ring.
His brilliance in his pomp should not be forgotten but he just hung around too long.
However, take nothing away from Bellew who, at 35, was at his best.
Promoter Eddie Hearn will try to tempt American Andre Ward out of retirement to step up to cruiserweight for a fight in the UK later this year.
And there is an even more ambitious plot to land a big-money fight with former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, who is on the comeback trail but with rival promoter Frank Warren.
However Hearn would be happy to see Bellew walk into the sunset on the back of winning a world title at Goodison Park and two highprofile victories over Haye. END OF THE ROAD: Haye has nowhere else to go – and neither may Bellew “It’s all about looking at the landscape and if the landscape is not right, if Ward doesn’t want it and Fury messes around, if the money is rubbish against others then he might just leave it,” said Hearn.
“I’d be happy if he turned around and said, ‘I’m retiring’, but the only problem is he’s getting better.”
Bellew made it through two dangerous rounds at the start of Saturday’s heavyweight fight before flooring Haye twice in the third with right-handers.
It was a left uppercut that finished it in the fifth as Bellew dropped him again with the shot he said he learnt from ring greats Felix Trinidad and Joe Frazier. Haye was eventually rescued on the ropes and Bellew’s emotions took over as he dedicated the fight to his partner Rachael’s brother Ashley Roberts, who died last year while on holiday in Mexico.
“I left an empty seat at ringside and they’re not cheap,” said Everton fan Bellew, who had his Liverpool supporting pal’s name on his shorts.
“I left it for him and I know he was there. I dedicate this fight to Ash. I know he is watching me and he’s smiling at me and laughing at me. He’s getting ready for the Champions League final!
“It has been a disastrous eight months. I can’t even put it into words. But it all makes sense when I get in that boxing ring.”
ANTHONY JOSHUA is confident his next fight will be against Deontay Wilder as talks continue for a unification clash this year.
The WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion insists he wants the fight but “will not sign my life away” as he called for details on the £36million offer made by the WBC titleholder’s team.
Hearn has been in talks with Wilder’s management and is flying to New York this week for more. “I do believe it will be next because I want the fight and I believe he wants the fight,” said Joshua. “We have got a lot of time to make it happen.
“The stars have aligned and it’s destiny to get the fight on.”