David Haye v Tony Bellew: Hayemaker insists his feud with the Liverpudlian is absolutely real ahead of March bout
Haye claims he dislikes everything about heavyweight rival Bellew
DAVID HAYE insists the bitter clash between him and Tony Bellew is not just hype.
The pair have traded insults for months ahead of their heavyweight tie on March 4.
Scouser Bellew mocked the former world champion this week after he was pictured sipping cocktails on a yacht in Miami.
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Haye, 36, refers to his opponent as “Bellend” while Bellew labels him “Bitch”.
There seems no end to the slanging match going into the fight at the O2 Arena in London.
Haye said: “It is as real as it can be. I don’t like using the word hate. But I’ve never disliked anybody as much as him.
“I really don’t like the guy or anything about him.
“I don’t like what he stands for or how he looks or his voice or his whole demeanour.
“He is just really annoying and tries to get in everyone’s face all the time.”
Bellew, 34, the WBC cruiserweight champ, steps up to heavyweight just as Haye did to become WBA title holder in 2009.
The pair were told to cool it by the British Boxing Board of Control after punches flew at a conference announcing the fight in November.
Haye added: “He pushed me so I gave him a clip round the ear. He asked for an apology. What fighter wants an apology?”
The Londoner adds that he will go for an early knockout in the fight to be shown on Sky’s pay-per-view.
But when Haye was pictured relaxing after training on the £27million yacht Skyfall in Florida, the Liverpudlian said: “While he is posing in the sun, I’m grafting in the cold.”
Haye also insists that Bellew had it easy on his route to becoming cruiserweight champion compared to his own path to that title.
Haye became WBA and WBC king with a stunning win against Frenchman Jean-Marc Mormeck in Paris in 2007.
Bellew won his WBC belt last May by knocking out Congolese Ilunga Makabu at Goodison Park after suffering a knockdown.
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He had failed in two previous world light-heavyweight title bids.
Haye added: “I had everything against me.
“I had to win it abroad — but he had it all in his home town.
“I have fought a lot of strong guys in the past and I just don’t see how he is going to handle my power.”