By Tim Parsons-
A proposed fight for Tiny Bellew to face WBC champion Deontey Wilder will be a mismatch.
Staging that fight will be nothing but an aim for all parties to make money. Bellew stopped Haye after 11 rounds at the 02 arena on Saturday, but that victory is not a legitimate ticket for him to face someone like Wilder. Bellew boxed well and proved himself to be a quality fight, but let’s face it, he beat an injured man in not brilliant condition.
Haye looked in good shape, but his condition was not up to scratch. This is not to undermine his victory but to highlight that the shocking win is not enough to sell him to face the division’s best. That will be dangerous for him to face a man in excess of 17 stonnes who will be in good shape and condition.
It was laughable that Bellew’s promoter Eddie Hearns even suggested mat hung Bellew with Anthony Joshua. Hearns must just have pound notes on his mind, he can’t really ink Bellew has a prayer against Joshua. Bellew as humble enough to admit he can’t beat Joshua and that humility were admirable.
Trying to match him with Wilder is also ridiculous, and it is very unlikely he can handle Parker even as a test. We thought the same of Haye, but Haye has an arrogant approach to fights that may have woken him up now. He took this fight too lightly, even if he trained for it. He wasn’t t fit enough and now appears to have taken the fight with a slight injury to avoid the embarrassment of pulling out.
TATTERS
He walked away £4m richer, but his reputation is now in tartars. Bellew’s stock has gone up, but his superiority over Haye as a fighter is not convincing. Bellew needs to fight and beat him again. Bellew himself said he wants to walk away, but a big money fight will be too tempting to resist.
He should resist it because if he gets battered easily, it will completely ruin the win over Haye. Bellew at the moment has more of a chance beating Haye again than he does beating Wilder or Parker.
PAY DAY
Wilder will love the fight because the American knows it will be an easy payday for him. Wilder will not lose to Bellew under any circumstances. Bellew should honour his words and grant Hate a rematch and beat him again when the Londoner will his time be better prepared.
EXPOSED
Haye exposed himself by underestimating Bellew so much, eventually failing to show himself a class above Bellew like he was saying all along. If Haye doesn’t learn a lesson after berating Bellew so much, that will in itself be a bigger tragedy for him. Having to be rushed to A and E with a ruptured Achilles hill after telling Bellew not to let his wife and child witness first hand the damage he will do to their dad and husband, must be a very bitter pill to swallow.
Bellew showed a mature level of composure throughout the fight, timing and responding to Haye’s every move in a brilliantly adaptive way. Hayes respect for Bellew must have gone up, but Bellew will be foolish to get caught in the hype and aim for Wilder. He himself has said there are only so many times he makes the kind of huge sacrifices for his family that bug fights demand.
LUCRATIVE
A rematch with Haye will be lucrative, and if Bellew wins that again, he should retire on that note. Deontey Wilder will always be too much for Bellew, but at least Bellew can say that because he has beaten Haye once, he believes he can beat him again.
