It’s happening.
After plenty of speculation – not to mention back-and-forths between the two British boxers – a date has been set for a bout between David Haye and Tony Bellew.
WBC cruiserweight champion Bellew will take on former two-weight world champion Haye on March 4, 2017.
The bout will take place at London’s O2 Arena, where Haye won both his fights since returning to boxing in January 2016.
Haye and Bellew clash in Heavyweight blockbuster. #HayeBellew https://t.co/dKbTCHCnE1 pic.twitter.com/m2RukmO4en
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) November 25, 2016
Bellew retained his world title with victory over BJ Flores in Liverpool last month, and called out Haye soon after in an exclusive interview with JOE.
He has described the upcoming fight as “big risk, big reward,” being quoted by Matchroom Boxing as saying:
“I’ve backed him into a corner, left him nowhere to go, and now I have what I want”
“He hasn’t been in a hard fight for over five years. The last time he had a gut check, he failed it. Going into this fight I 100 per cent know that he does not want it as much as me and he is not going to be as brave as me.”
Haye, meanwhile, has taken aim at Bellew’s film career after the 33-year-old made his acting debut last year in Creed.
“I’ve earned my credentials the hard way inside the ring, not on film sets,” the Londoner said.
“There will be no second takes, no stunt men taking the blows and no flashing lights on the red carpet, the only lights Bellew will see are those of the spot lights shining down on him when he wakes up from his nap on the canvas.”
Promoter Eddie Hearn has described the upcoming bout as a “huge, huge fight” and “an explosion of concussive punchers riddled with bad blood and desperate to score a knockout victory.”
Haye made his comeback against Mark De Mori in January, scoring a first round TKO against the Australian, and saw off previously undefeated Swiss fighter Arnold Gjergjaj in May.
Since that second round victory, Haye has seen Bellew claim the vacant WBC cruiserweight belt with a third-round KO of Junior Makabu and achieve the same result against Flores on October 15.
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