By Gabriel Princewill-
Tony Bellew Shocked David Haye with an 11 round knockout win at the O2 arena in London.
After all the supremely confident talk, Haye was decisively stopped in a competitive fight.
The Londoner had threatened to inflict life-threatening injuries on Bellew, but on Saturday night he was humbled by a former cruiserweight campaigning for the first time at the heavyweight division.
Most experts and boxing fans did not give Bellew a chance, but the Scouser fought a smart and tactical fight from the first bell right until the conclusive finish.
MEASURED
Measured and strategic from the outset, Bellew justified his credentials at the apex of the cruiserweight division, showing composure and boxing smarts.
FAVOURITE
Haye, a massive favourite with all the bookies, was effective with his jab from time to time but struggled to find the type of accurate leverage to his punches that made him a dominant cruiserweight in his hayday.
There wasn’t much between the pair for most of the rounds, their levels looked comparable but Bellew was marginally ahead on points.
All that changed in the tenth round after Bellew wobbled him and Haye twisted his ankle, giving Bellew all the inspiration and confidence he needed to go for the win.
Finally, in the eleventh round, Haye was knocked out of the ring, and his corner threw the towel, making Bellew the surprise winner of the contest.
The eventual outcome was a reminder of the old adage that actions speak louder than words.