So, after all the trash talking, it was Tony Bellew that upset the odds to defeat David Haye at the O2 on Saturday night.
After Haye injured his ankle in the sixth round it soon became clear that the fight was Bellew’s to lose. Despite a valiant effort from the Londoner to continue, his corner threw in the towel in the eleventh round with the 34-year-old Liverpudlian dominant.
Haye praised Bellew after the bout and attempted to play down the significance of the injury to his ankle.
“The ankle was just one of those things,” he told Radio 5Live. “The better man won on the night.
“It wasn’t my night. I didn’t land the good shots, I was in good shape but his game was better than mine.
“It felt like a Rocky movie and I was one punch away from knocking him out but I couldn’t quite do it.”
Post fight, footage which appears to show the precise moment Haye damaged his ankle was shared across social media.
Haye's Ankle Injury😩😨😷 #Haye #HayeBellew pic.twitter.com/yUCcMoIRxZ
— Boxing Fight Simulations (@bfsimulations) March 5, 2017
Some suggested that it was ‘clear to see’ that the 36-year-old’s achilles had ruptured…
Watch this and tell me Haye wasn't injured, clear to see that his Achilles just went. Bloke had 1 leg for 5 rounds.. pic.twitter.com/i6LQm3ewnH
— Tom Crossland (@TCrossland55) March 5, 2017
As of yet, the extent of the injury to Haye is unclear.
