In less than a month's time on May 5th, David Haye and Tony Bellew will do battle again in a highly anticipated rematch, with Bellew having won the original fight in March 2017 by TKO after Haye had suffered an Achilles injury during the bout.
That original fight was however marred by unsavoury behaviour in the build-up with Haye having called the crowd at a press conference in Liverpool "f***ing retards".
Our own Kevin Kilbane, who is an ambassador for Down Syndrome Ireland, condemned Haye for his use of the word "retard" in February 2017, explaining: "For David Haye to use that word 'retard' - not just once, because he's used it before - no one has told him the severity of using that word. You just think, 'Come on, you're representing a sport here and you're representing yourself' and for a man to stand up in front of so many people and use that term, use that word, it's disgraceful.
"These sort of terms are the equivalent of racism and sexism and I don't care what anybody says. It's exactly the same and these sort of terms should be wiped out now. They're totally unacceptable. And for David Haye to use that word, it's outrageous. I was disgusted when I heard it today. Disgusted with him."
David Haye joined Ger on Off The Ball today and expressed his regret at his use of language at the time.
"Not only was it offensive to everyone there, it made me look like an absolute idiot and it made me ashamed of the way I acted in the whole build up to that fight and I'd never want to ever to do that again," he said, admitting that he "scraped the barrel" with his remarks.
"So it was a lesson learned. I got a £25,000 fine for that incident and it went to charity so I feel that I was reprimanded adequately and the behaviour that I showed in the first fight, not only will I not do it in this fight but I won't do it in any future fight because it made me look like a complete idiot."
He also spoke about the "weird dynamic" that permeates combat sports when it comes to what is done to promote a fight.
Tony Bellew (left) and David Haye during the press conference at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London. Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire/PA Images
"Conor McGregor says some of the most controversial things yet he's the biggest grossing mixed martial artist of all time. Same thing with Floyd Mayweather throwing money in people's faces. He owns a strip club - all these things that would normally be deemed as a negative for a sportsman, yet he's earning half a billion in a fight. So it's a very, very weird and strange dynamic that only seems to happen in combat fighting sports. But it is the way it is," said Haye.
It's been more than five years since Haye claimed heavyweight titles and he acknowledged that another defeat to Bellew would essentially end any realistic hope of him getting back in the mix for title fights in the division.
"My whole boxing career potentially ends on May 5th and I'm doing everything humanly possible to make sure it doesn't," he said, adding that he can't afford to look past Bellew.
"If I win and struggle, if I get knocked down and get cut and it's a life and death fight, then I'll feel I'll call it a day as realistically I couldn't with hand on heart say if I can't conclusively beat Tony Bellew then what would the point be of trying to get in the ring with an absolute monster like Anthony Joshua. I'd only get hurt."
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