David Haye issues nasty combination punch warning to Tony Bellew: we’re practicing hitting a falling target

By James Slater - 02/23/2017 - Comments

David Haye really is feeling it as far as wanting to put a nasty beating on his equally vocal March 4 rival Tony Bellew. Haye, who is convinced he will win, not only wants to win but to also score a viciously memorable KO win. And Haye, with a nasty edge to his tone in speaking with Sky Sports, said he isn’t looking to flatten Bellew with one punch.

No, Haye wants to blast his rival with a hurtful, “three, four, five-punch combination.” Haye says he is even working on hitting a falling target.

“I’m looking at hitting him, knocking him out, and hitting him as he’s going down,” Haye said. “We’re practicing hitting a falling target. You’re not allowed to hit someone on the floor but, if they’re falling, you can hit them. I really want a slo-mo, show-reel knockout. I don’t want him to quit on his stool or go down with a body shot. I wouldn’t be happy with that.”

Haye’s infamous decapitation threats (via a t-shirt) hurled at the Klitschko brothers aside, this is perhaps him at his meanest. The former WBA heavyweight champ, who figures to be substantially heavier than reigning WBC cruiserweight ruler Bellew on fight night, really does seem to want to hurt his man. Of course, Haye failed to back up his venomous words with actual ring explosiveness when he had his big fight with Klitschko; will things be different this time?

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“Bomber” Bellew plans on doing some damage of his own but, with his shorter reach, the younger man may be beaten to the punch. Plenty of fans are fully expecting a short and explosive fight, possibly one where the first man to land a bomb wins. Haye obviously feels this will be him.

But has Haye shown poor sportsmanship by saying how he is looking to hit a possibly unconscious or semi-unconscious opponent as he is heading to the canvas? Some people have put the war of words between these to down to hype and nothing more, but this is not the case: there is genuine bad blood between these two.