Haye set to be warned over crass comments
DAVID HAYE has risked the wrath of the British boxing authorities after telling Tony Bellew he is gambling with his life by stepping into a ring with him.
Haye, the former world heavyweight champion, caused outrage over the weekend after he said he was going to ‘smash Bellew’s skull in’ when they face up at the O2 Arena on Saturday.
Robert Smith, the general secretary of the British Boxing Board of Control, said the fighter will face a hearing for those comments.
But it now seems likely he will face a second inquiry after continuing with that aggressive tone during a tempestuous press conference at the Hilton Hotel in Liverpool, which was pockmarked by a series of expletive-ridden rants from Haye.
The 36-year-old turned up almost an hour late for the start of the conference in Bellew’s home town and was antagonised throughout by a hostile crowd.
Haye’s emotions clearly got to him as he called the crowd ‘f ****** retards’ after aiming insulting gestures at them.
He then told local favourite Bellew: ‘This right hand is going right through you.’
It was clear that none of the bad blood between them was for show, with seven burly security guards on stage to ensure the pair did not trade blows, as was the case last November when this fight was announced.
Haye is adamant that he is in peak condition after training in Miami with Shane McGuigan and he is unrepentant about the inflammatory way he has spoken about Bellew. In fact, he was even more aggressive away from the camera.
‘What happens when my right hand goes straight through his guard and he ends up on his a***?’ said Haye. ‘This isn’t just about him risking his career, this is about him risking his life. That might sound harsh, but it is true.
‘If I stand in front of a bus going at 30mph, I expect to get hurt if it hits me. He is going to stand in the ring with me for 36 minutes while I am wearing 10oz gloves. Do you think he is not going to get hurt?’
So what happens if Bellew was to be injured? Who is to blame?
‘It ain’t me,’ said Haye. ‘I’m just doing my job. I could get hurt. My intent is to hit him as hard as I can for as long as I can.’
Bellew was unflustered by Haye’s comments and said: ‘I didn’t expect him to say anything else. This was about business until that moron threw a punch in November.’
He insisted that Haye is not the same boxer who unified the cruiserweight division and won a world heavyweight title before a four-year absence from the ring.
‘When David was in his prime, he was an immense athlete, an amazing fighter and is still probably the most dangerous heavyweight in the world,’ said the 34-year-old.
‘But the gas tank is very, very low and it does not last all that long. I’m expecting the very, very best of David Haye but I understand it’s not going to be there for very long and, when the gas tank runs out, the big fat Scouser is going to steam right through him like a train.
‘I am not going to stop, I promise you that.’