Friday 14 October 2016 13:07, UK
David Haye has told fans to put their money on BJ Flores to rip Tony Bellew’s WBC world cruiserweight title from him.
Bellew is making the first defence of the belt he won by sensationally stopping Ilunga Makabu at Goodision Park last May and will face brash Californian Flores at Liverpool's Echo Arena this Saturday live on Sky Sports.
The Liverpool star has long called for a showdown with Haye, who will be part of the Sky Sports team this weekend, and the 'Hayemaker' has said that he is open to talks if 'Bomber' can beat his pal.
Haye was famously cut in sparring by Flores back in 2010 in the lead up to the first defence of his WBA heavyweight title against John Ruiz - a fight he won via a ninth round stoppage - and the Bermondsey hard-hitter is therefore confident that his long-term friend will have the beating of Bellew.
"I don't think Tony is going to win the fight," said Haye. "BJ is a big cruiserweight. Look at them next to each other, there's not a lot in it at first sight but Tony is tall and skinny whereas BJ is wide and thick set and can punch.
"BJ is very underrated, he hasn't perhaps performed to the best of his ability in his big fights but he's been boxing since his was six, has great amateur pedigree boxing all over the world and I think Tony has underestimated him."
"Tony thinks it's an easy touch and BJ is a huge underdog with the bookies, I think he's worth backing to cause the upset.
"Tony is a good fighter and he was good against Makabu, he was an underdog himself, he got decked in the first and spun it round and did the job so you have to give him credit for that - but is he a real cruiserweight? I don't know. He looked it in the Makabu fight, he's the WBC champion and he did it in good style, but I think it's a tough first defence and I think it's a good fight.
"If Tony somehow manages to beat BJ - which he won't do - we can talk. Tony makes plenty of noise so we'll see, but he's got his hands full with BJ."
Watch Tony Bellew defends his WBC cruiserweight world title against BJ Flores live on Saturday night, from 8.00pm, on Sky Sports 2.
