
GETTY
David Haye and Tony Bellew have already clashed in the run-up to their fight
Bellew, 34, has won 28 of his 31 professional fights and holds the WBC and European cruiserweight titles.
But both of his world title fights have been held in his hometown of Liverpool, while David Haye had to go abroad to fight Nikolai Valuev and Wladimir Klitschko.
“I had to fight in final eliminators,” Haye said.
10 of the most shocking moments in boxing history
Sat, May 2, 2015
From the time Tyson bit Holyfield's ear, to 'The Thrilla in Manila,' we take a look at the most shocking moments in the history of boxing.
Play slideshow
SKY
1 of 10
Mike Tyson bites Evander Holyfield on the left ear in the third round of their WBA Heavyweight match at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 1997
“I had to go to foreign soil and fight on a Don King promotion.
“I had everything against me and I still did it.”
By comparison, Everton fan Bellew’s WBC cruiserweight title fight was held against fellow challenger Ilunga Makabu at Goodison Park.
GETTY
David Haye and Tony Bellew exchanged pushes and punches as their feud raged on
“He’s had things a lot easier in his career,” Haye added.
“I’ve had to fight a lot harder for my accolades.
“I think that will be pretty evident when the first bell rings.”
GETTY
Tony Bellew called out David Haye from the ring
The bout is one of the most anticipated of the boxing calendar in 2017, primarily because of the ongoing feud between the two fighters.
They clashed and had to be separated after facing off at a promotional press conference.
And their war of words has continued to rage, with Bellew promising to take Haye into ‘deep water’ beyond the fourth round.
But Haye is confident that the bout won’t get near to lasting that long when they meet at the O2 Arena.
“He’s tough, he’s strong but I’ve fought a lot of tough strong guys,” Haye said.
“Everyone said the same thing about John Ruiz but he hadn’t been hit by me and within 20 seconds he was on the seat of his pants.
“I can’t see how [Bellew’s] style can take the power that I produce.
“I physically don’t know how it’s going to happen.”
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Tumblr
RSS