Haye-Bellew: Ohara Davies and Derry Mathews reveal fall-out from Monday meeting
Wednesday 1 March 2017 06:23, UK
Ohara Davies and Derry Mathews’ rivalry took centre stage on Tuesday. Something tells us David Haye, meanwhile, will have been glad to retreat back to London…
After Monday's mayhem by the Mersey, came the relative calm. That is, until a catch-up with undercard opponents Davies and Mathews, who revealed more than met the eye at the Liverpool press conference.
Backstage barney
"We crossed paths downstairs and he tried to start on me," London's Davies said, almost 24 hours after his agitating performance, sunglasses and all, on Monday.
Mathews told us more about the ruckus that escaped attention: "I said 'you told me to come and find you, do you want to do it now?' I was on my own, he was on his own. He bottled it. For me, he's a coward."
Davies insists he was smarter, rather than more cowardly, replying: "I'm a professional athlete. If we're going to fight, we should be getting paid for it."
I was on my own, he was on his own. He bottled it. For me, he's a coward.
Oh to be a fly on the wall behind-the-scenes at Liverpool's Hilton Hotel…
Golden opportunity
Davies and Mathews, however, were not the only undercard stars to enjoy their share of the limelight on Tuesday. Such is the vitriol associated with Saturday's main-event, it has been easy to forget that we're in the presence of an all-time great of amateur boxing.
"When I was growing up as a young girl these were the shows I dreamed of boxing on," said Katie Taylor, the five-time world amateur champion and Olympic gold medal royalty. It was a delicate, yet welcome, reminder that Saturday's Sky Sports Box Office event is not solely about the hatred between David Haye and Tony Bellew.
Taylor's third professional contest comes against the veteran Monica Gentili, and the Irish puncher said: "In the future I have huge fights lined up including on the Anthony Joshua vs Wladimir Klitschko bill in a couple of months.
When I was growing up as a young girl these were the shows I dreamed of boxing on.
"I want to make my stand in the professional game and if I am going to be boxing for world titles later on in the year then I need to be challenged and tested and she is an opponent who will do that for me."
The motivation of red mist
"I don't know what I'm going to do, so neither does he - I know that frightens him because it frightens me."
Alarming words from Bellew, the WBC cruiserweight champion whose heavyweight debut is just four days away. But when you consider his victories over Nathan Cleverly, Ilunga Makabu and BJ Flores, all three came when Bellew was engulfed by an uncontrollable rage.
I don't know what I'm going to do, so neither does he - I know that frightens him because it frightens me.
Haye incites the same anger within Bellew, so the warning signs are there.
Heavyweight? It's a cruise!
Conversation in the Sky bubble turned to the fine gentlemen that paved the way for Haye and Bellew to move from cruiserweight to heavyweight.
Who's your favourite? We recalled Roy Jones Jr's smooth transition through the divisions, Evander Holyfield setting the bench-mark, and James Toney's unique methods to moving up in weight.
What's next?
On Wednesday, attention turns to the open work-outs - the first chance of the week for Saturday's fighters to demonstrate their speed, power and technique. Let's just hope the day passes without incident…
