BoxRec

The official weigh-in has just taken place and David Haye has come to the fight weighing 224½lbs, his typical comeback weight... and Tony Bellew hasn't gained any "real" weight, because he weighs the same as his typical rehydrated cruiserweight ring-weight, at 213½lbs.

David Haye looks muscular and very ripped, his best shape since he started his comeback last year. Tony Bellew appears particularly unimpressive. However, Saturday night’s fight isn’t a body-building contest.

I’m guessing that Tony Bellew didn’t want to gain any weight for the Haye fight, maybe because he wants to retain ownership of his cruiserweight title and return immediately to his native 200lbs division.

Thoughts?

Mismatch. Haye will easily beat the fat LHW Bellew.

Is this going to be a real fight, or a "sports entertainment" exhibition like Haye's two comeback "fights"? Haye is like a bad penny, he keeps coming back.

Enlightened-One wrote:
I’m guessing that Tony Bellew didn’t want to gain any weight for the Haye fight, maybe because he wants to retain ownership of his cruiserweight title and return immediately to his native 200lbs division.

Exactly this, it is a Brook/GGG type payday for Bellew.

F*ck it, I'm picking Bellew.

Yea, he's kinda fat at this weight and is kinda small for CW let alone HW, but he was still able to KO a pretty good Makabu, and he's the best fighter Haye has fought since Wlad.

boxing_rocks wrote:Mismatch. Haye will easily beat the fat LHW Bellew.

Yes !

jujigatame wrote:F*ck it, I'm picking Bellew.

Yea, he's kinda fat at this weight and is kinda small for CW let alone HW, but he was still able to KO a pretty good Makabu, and he's the best fighter Haye has fought since Wlad.

Chisora would beat Bellew easily. Even now.

You give Chisora too much credit. I'm not even sure he could beat Steve Cunningham.

jujigatame wrote:You give Chisora too much credit. I'm not even sure he could beat Steve Cunningham.

How in earth would Tony Bellew beat Dereck Chisora? Especially the Dereck Chisora Haye faced five years ago. He he is older, slower and suffers from poor stamina now but he'd still have enough to get rid of Tony Bellew.

jujigatame wrote:You give Chisora too much credit. I'm not even sure he could beat Steve Cunningham.

I think youre overrating Bellew if you have him beating Haye and Chisora. Youre talking someone who scraped by Masternak 7-5, was all over the place against shot Brudov, and got dropped by the first clean punch Makabu landed. Haye and Chisora would walk through those guys, and I dont think theyd have major issues with a blown up Bellew.

He could certainly outbox and outwork him, and possibly hurt him depending on how his power carries up to HW. I've never seen a Chisora fight that made me think he was particularly good. The Pulev fight was painful to watch and the fact that it was a split decision was nuts.

I think Cunningham and Huck have done a decent job of showing the relative strengths of the CW and HW divisions. The HW division is not significantly stronger. I would favor Usyk to beat almost every HW out there.

boxing_rocks wrote:Mismatch. Haye will easily beat the fat LHW Bellew.

this.

total mismatch. if haye pushes the action early bellew ends sleeping 1 round

Don't let Bellew's body shape fool you. He has an engine and has recently gone deep, Haye hasn't.
If it goes past 5, expect Bellew to come out on top.

jujigatame wrote:He could certainly outbox and outwork him, and possibly hurt him depending on how his power carries up to HW. I've never seen a Chisora fight that made me think he was particularly good. The Pulev fight was painful to watch and the fact that it was a split decision was nuts.

I think Cunningham and Huck have done a decent job of showing the relative strengths of the CW and HW divisions. The HW division is not significantly stronger. I would favor Usyk to beat almost every HW out there.

While I am not picking Bellew, I have a hunch that it will be more competitive than the vast majority think. I don't get the TB hate. The dude has been an active, competitive pro for a very long time. He always comes to fight. He fights more often than most. Sure, he talks sh!t but he is promoting his fights and career. It amazes me the love in the UK for Haye and The Cocaine Monster while legit, lunchpale pros like TB get ridiculed and spat upon.

I am hoping that Bellew turns the tables and sends Haye to the land of twitch. Unlikely, but we know he won't blame his toe if he loses.

Tear him up, Tony!!

KiwiRider wrote:Don't let Bellew's body shape fool you. He has an engine and has recently gone deep, Haye hasn't.
If it goes past 5, expect Bellew to come out on top.

Bellew' s never fought with this much fat, and his stamina has never been great anyway. His energy is often very spotty and on multiple occassions he's slowed notably around the halfway point.

Although Haye had stamina issues against Thompson, hes subsequently been past 5 numerous times without majorly fading, including in his tough fights with Mormeck and Fragomemi; perhaps the time off didnt help his tank, but it's hardly clear that he can't go rounds.

By the looks Bellow certainly doesn't even have a small chance, it really looked like a dart player vs an athlete.

I guess I was wrong and this will end by round 6 ish, I predicted a 12 round wide win for Daffy earlier somehow.

Tanzio wrote:

jujigatame wrote:He could certainly outbox and outwork him, and possibly hurt him depending on how his power carries up to HW. I've never seen a Chisora fight that made me think he was particularly good. The Pulev fight was painful to watch and the fact that it was a split decision was nuts.

I think Cunningham and Huck have done a decent job of showing the relative strengths of the CW and HW divisions. The HW division is not significantly stronger. I would favor Usyk to beat almost every HW out there.

While I am not picking Bellew, I have a hunch that it will be more competitive than the vast majority think. I don't get the TB hate. The dude has been an active, competitive pro for a very long time. He always comes to fight. He fights more often than most. Sure, he talks sh!t but he is promoting his fights and career. It amazes me the love in the UK for Haye and The Cocaine Monster while legit, lunchpale pros like TB get ridiculed and spat upon.

I am hoping that Bellew turns the tables and sends Haye to the land of twitch. Unlikely, but we know he won't blame his toe if he loses.

Tear him up, Tony!!

What on earth are you talking about? Ridiculed yes, like every boxer on this island? But spat upon? Get a grip.

Tanzio wrote:

jujigatame wrote:He could certainly outbox and outwork him, and possibly hurt him depending on how his power carries up to HW. I've never seen a Chisora fight that made me think he was particularly good. The Pulev fight was painful to watch and the fact that it was a split decision was nuts.

I think Cunningham and Huck have done a decent job of showing the relative strengths of the CW and HW divisions. The HW division is not significantly stronger. I would favor Usyk to beat almost every HW out there.

While I am not picking Bellew, I have a hunch that it will be more competitive than the vast majority think. I don't get the TB hate. The dude has been an active, competitive pro for a very long time. He always comes to fight. He fights more often than most. Sure, he talks sh!t but he is promoting his fights and career. It amazes me the love in the UK for Haye and The Cocaine Monster while legit, lunchpale pros like TB get ridiculed and spat upon.

I am hoping that Bellew turns the tables and sends Haye to the land of twitch. Unlikely, but we know he won't blame his toe if he loses.

Tear him up, Tony!!

What on earth are you talking about? Ridiculed yes, like every boxer on this island? But spat upon? Get a grip.

You clearly know very little about Tony Bellew and his career by the way,

Not sure why that posted again rather than edited the message?

It seems the entire forum has it going less than 3. I might bet the over simply on the fact that everyone betting the same thing rarely wins.

Haye at 220+ will slow badly if the fight gets into the middle rounds. He looked horribly gassed vs Ruiz and thay was in his prime. I also don't think Haye is really putting in 100% at training camp sans Booth.

I pick Haye before 5, but a competitive fight wouldn't surprise me.

Nevermind, just saw the weigh in photos and my old ass is in better shape than bellew. Haye is a piece of steel. Obviously that doesn't win the fights, but bellew clearly isn't taking this seriously in the gym.

can't see it lasting more than a round or two.

its certainly of interest for the fireworks and grudge

but I wouldn't pay a penny to watch it

Haye clearly looking the more seasoned HW.

Still, I have my doubts Haye will end this early like everybody expects. I really wouldn't be surprised to see this fight go longer than 6 rounds.

Keep your money in your pockets. It'll probably be a stinker. Haye has fought a whopping three rounds in 4 years against cans. Tony Bellew is arguably one of his toughest fights since his comeback, and that's saying something.

Haye fights only opposition he is 100% comfortable beating. His opposition at HW has been fairly disappointing.

I hope Bellew gives Haye the shock of his life and drags him in deep.

people seem to forget that not so long ago adonis made easy work of bellew. haye is taller, bigger, stronger, more athletic and more powerful than adonis, just sayn.