Boxing_News__November_24_2017

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Photo: ACTION IMAGES/ANDREW COULDRIDGE
‘HAYE DOES
RECOVER
FROM HIS
INJURES
VERY, VERY
QUICKLY’
WAITING GAME:
Bellew is not yet
willing to give up on
the Haye rematch
WHAT NOW FOR BELLEW?
John Dennen
discusses
‘Bomber’s’
options with
Dave Coldwell
following
collapse of
Haye rematch
SHOCK and gloom descended over
Tony Bellew and his team when they
discovered that David Haye was injured
and their December 17 rematch, set for
the O2 in London, had been ‘postponed’.
Bellew’s trainer Dave Coldwell told
Boxing News of their reaction. “I’m gutted
for Tony I really am. It’s been a hard, hard
camp. It’s been very tough on him. There’s
no end product for it right now,” he said.
It’s been especially difficult for Bellew,
who had been mourning the death of his
brother-in-law, a close family member,
while preparing diligently to repeat a
victory over his nemesis, Haye.
“He showed immense strength of
character. I’ve always had respect for his
mental toughness but for him to have just
gone through the sessions that we’ve had
to, with all that that’s going on, it’s took it
to another level,” Coldwell said. “He is an
unbelievable professional.
“The last week, 10 days, I’ve just been,
wow, really, really looking forward to this.”
Although Haye has suffered a litany of
injuries the official word is he can come
back, and potential dates for a sequel are
March 24 or May 5.
“It’s a fresh injury, I suppose that’s
a good thing. It’s an injury that could
happen to anybody. You fall down the
stairs, you put your arm out. You fall
off a curb, you put your arm out. You
could dislocate your shoulder, you could
rupture your bicep, do whatever. It’s
one of those things. But again, it’s f*****g
David Haye again,” Coldwell said.
“Right now we’re waiting to see what
all the options are and what people like
Eddie [Hearn, the promoter] and Sky,
what they do. Tony will look at what his
options are and we’ll take it from there.
If Haye had done his Achilles [the injury
which happened in the first Bellew fight],
it’s gone again, he’s not going to make it
to the ring. It’s his bicep, a fresh injury like
I said, we’ll see.
“If it’s not too far out, we’ll speak about
it. Do we wait? Do we do something
else? I don’t know, we’ll see,” he added.
“We’ll have to see how quickly he does
recover. The best thing about Haye is the
team that he has around him, the money
that he has available to him to get things
sorted, he does recover from his injuries
very, very quickly… This could be one of
them. But I don’t know. Ultimately it’s
down to what Tony wants to do.”
Former heavyweight world champion
Tyson Fury appeared on social media
offering his services as an opponent.
Coldwell ruled that out for December 17.
“He’s too big,” the trainer said. “That’s not
a fight I would entertain whatsoever. Fury
is big, long and very, very clever in that
ring. There’s no way that I’d be interested
in that fight.”
Not to mention the fact that Fury still
has to have a hearing with an anti-doping
panel before he can get a licence to box
from the British Boxing Board of Control.
Before this return with Haye was
signed, WBO champion Joseph Parker
had been a target for Bellew. But the New
Zealander has “zero interest” in stepping
in and filling Haye’s slot, Boxing News
discovered.
“With the greatest amount of respect
to Tony Bellew, we have zero interest in
stepping in at short notice and replacing
the injured David Haye on December 17,”
Team Parker said. “That’s despite our team
having 100 per cent belief it would be
an easy payday and easy win for Joseph
Parker. Bellew is not ranked in the top 15
of the WBO and needs reminding he is
ineligible for a title shot anyway.”
Bellew however does not want to lose
the form and fitness he had attained in
this camp. “He was devastated when he
got the call. He’s had today off. He sent
me text this morning [Monday November
20], because he’s in good shape, he’s in
very good shape, saying ‘I’m not letting
this go, I’ll be with you tomorrow.’ I think
he’s going to come down for a session
tomorrow. But we’ll see. We’ll see how he
is,” Coldwell revealed.
Matchroom still hope to stage a show
on the weekend of December 16/17, but
refunds will be available to customers
who bought tickets for the original event.
8 l BOXING NEWS l NOVEMBER 23, 2017 www.boxingnewsonline.net