Bellew upsets odds as Haye throws in towel
TONY BELLEW secured one of the biggest upset victories in British boxing history last night, when David Haye was withdrawn in the 11th round at London’s 02 Arena after suffering a suspected Achilles injury.
The grudge fight that had been considered a mismatch, became a nightmare for Haye from the sixth when, after losing his balance, the injury occurred and left him barely able to stay on his feet.
He bravely persisted from then until the 11th, struggling as much for balance as against Bellew and clearly on the verge of exhaustion. He was finally pulled out by his trainer Shane McGuigan when he was knocked through the ropes and almost out of the ring.
Haye’s heavier hands ensured he edged exchanges from the second, and in the third an instinctive left resembled him at his peak, but only in the fourth did the size difference between them threaten to tell.
The 34-year-old Bellew’s impressive punch resistance ensured he survived a big right hand that sent him on the defensive, and a further powerful combination in the fifth.
It was in the sixth when a loss of balance led to Haye’s injury, and from that point the fight descended into near farce as his corner and ref Phil Edwards allowed him to fight on.
Looking increasingly tired, reliant on one fight-changing punch and falling to the canvas amid Bellew’s attacks throughout the seventh, only the injury stopped Edwards from ruling against repeated knockdowns.
The immobile Haye barely left his corner, while Bellew – wary of his counter-punching – was reluctant to unload until sensing the stoppage was finally there.
What followed was an impressive display of heart, something Haye has often been accused of lacking, as he refused to quit despite a diminishing ability to defend himself.
The final pursuit of an unlikely and impressive win finally ended in the 11th round, when after a further exchange sent him through the ropes and almost out of the ring, McGuigan ruled he had seen too much and belatedly threw in the towel.
A jubilant Bellew said: “No-one has ever been able to stop David on his feet.
“I’m honoured because in my eyes I beat the best cruiserweight this country has ever produced and one of the best heavyweights.
“He made the same mistake everybody else does. He underestimated me.”