David Haye is more than ready to try to get some payback against Tony Bellew on May 5. The build-up to the biggest domestic rematch of the year so far hasn’t been as dramatic when comparing to the first fight although a lot of has happened since March 4, 2017.
‘The Hayemaker’ famously made nasty comments before the first fight about hospitalising Bellew and putting the Liverpudlian into a coma. Haye believes that mentally he was in the wrong place going into the first fight and it was because of Bellew.
“I had the wrong energy. I had dark energy. I definitely feel that Tony Bellew has a very slick skill of getting into someone’s head. I’ve got into people’s heads before, I don’t think I can do that to him. I thought maybe I could last time. It backfired. He [Bellew] was the puppet master last time. He controlled my mind,” said Haye in the latest Gloves Are Off episode.
The lead-up to the rematch has been far less heated in terms of verbal jabs and it’s mostly because of Haye who has been less interested in the trash talk.
“I’m aware of it now. I wasn’t aware of the game that was being played. I thought I was in control of it but clearly I wasn’t. Looking back on the fight, looking back on my mindset going into the ring it was all off. I have never gone to the ring with that same mindset for a reason. It’s the wrong one to have,” admitted Haye.
“There’s a million different things I can do to improve because I didn’t really do any of them last time. I just went out there and swang like a 15-year old amateur,” added the former world heavyweight champion.
Haye has confirmed that his career is on the line against Bellew on May 5. If he fails to win decisively against Bellew, the Londoner will retire as an athlete according to his own words.
READ MORE:
David Haye warns Tony Bellew – “I will get my revenge and put an abrupt end to it all”