TONY BELLEW DELIVERED the more clinical display to get the better of David Haye in five rounds of their heavyweight bout in London tonight.
Bellew was the more controlled fighter, trusting his jab throughout, though Haye managed to unleash his powerful right hand in disjointed early rounds.
That eagerness to land the big shot was expertly turned against Haye in the third round as Bellew swung momentum his way, countering with a one-two in the third round to put Haye down next to the ropes. He would see the deck a second time before being saved by the bell.
Haye was clearly uncomfortable in the fourth, hobbling through an apparent ankle injury. However, he clung on through the fourth and two minutes of the fifth before another Haye over-reach gave Bellew the opening to put the 37-year-old down a third and final time.
“He goes down as a better fighter than me,” said Bellew ringside, “but I won, against all the odds. I was willing to be finished off in this ring tonight, I’m struggling bad but I’ve done it and that’s all that matters.”
Haye said: “Tony boxed a great fight. He did some really clever stuff in there. He boxed good, and I didn’t, it’s that simple.”
