Bellew silences Haye to claim the high ground

Knockout: Underdog Tony Bellew ends his grudge match with David Haye by knocking him through the ropes in the 11th round. (Picture: Nick Potts/PA Wire)

It was clear that Haye was struggling physically before his trainer Shane McGuigan threw in the towel in the 11th round at London’s O2 Arena, with the 36-year-old suffering a suspected Achilles injury at the halfway point of the bout.

But Bellew revealed yesterday he was also battling an injury.

He said: “I’m just happy David’s home and healthy and safe. We did receive injuries. I broke my right hand in the second or third round. It’s very sore now.

“I had a bad right knee myself going in but this is not what people want to hear. This is why I asked David from the very start, ‘are you okay?’ And believe me for four rounds he was fine.”

Bellew said he had put the injury out of his mind during the fight, adding: “I don’t feel the pain, all I think about is winning.”

The build-up to the fight was dominated by trash-talking between the pair but they were respectful of each other afterwards and a rematch could even be on the cards.

Bellew condemned Haye’s threats in the build-up, saying: “I know there’s been a lot of bad blood and I think some of the things he said were disgusting and distasteful but it was purely one way. I didn’t want to hurt David. I would never say I wanted to hurt someone.

“My 11-year-old son had to listen to someone tell people he was going to decapitate me.”

The grudge match 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 unable 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 amid his pursuit of one conclusive punch.

Liverpudlian Bellew must now decide whether to defend his WBC cruiserweight title or remain at heavyweight, where he could seek to become a two-weight world champion. He will take time to assess his future, but has already been approached by the camps of WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and WBO titlist Joseph Parker.