Tony Bellew: David Haye thought I was easy, he doesn’t want world titles

This Saturday in London, Tony Bellew (29-2-1, 19 KO) and David Haye (28-3, 26 KO) fight in a rematch of a bout from March 2017, where Bellew scored something of an upset over Haye, who had said he was on his way to world title fights and a run at becoming undisputed heavyweight champion.

Bellew, however, doesn’t believe Haye ever really wanted to fight for belts again, and that he simply miscalculated when they fought the first time — and that now Haye’s career is on the line.

“On Saturday, mate, it comes to an end. It really does. For the first time in your whole career, you are actually fighting for your whole career,” Bellew said at their press conference.

“Not even injury saves you this time, David. For the first time in your whole career, you are going to walk to the ring and think, ‘If this goes wrong, nothing can save me.’ And let’s not mix it up, I’ve done this five, six times. And I know the pressure that brings to you. I know the kind of atmosphere that can generate. And you’re in a lot of trouble Saturday, mate. You really are.”

Bellew continued on, saying Haye could have easily fought for a world title if he had wanted, instead of facing Mark de Mori, Arnold Gjerjaj, and himself.

“Before the last fight, I never needed to hate David. I never needed — he’s got this belief I was trying to wind him up. I wasn’t. I just told him a few truths,” Bellew said.

“The fact of the matter is, David isn’t back to win world titles. David is the man who’s back to rob the bank. He’s trying to do it with as little risk as possible. The mistake that he made is, he picked this little fat cruiserweight scouser with a mouth to try and make that against, because he thought that was an easy fight.

“If David was really back for world titles, he would’ve just got on the phone with Al Haymon and his advisers and made the fight with Deontay Wilder. But the sad fact of it all is, David wants to fight crabs and little fatties, and the bad thing is, I fall into that category of little fatty. I can accept it! Like I said, I’m a realist, I’m not a fantasist.

“David is living in fantasy land if he believes he can become undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. Because on Saturday night, David gets his ass smacked and put back in his box, and that’s how it’s going down.