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Fourteen months after their first battle, David Haye and Tony Bellew return to The O2 Arena in London for an anticipated rematch on Saturday. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the fight in the United States:
Viewing Information
Note this information is for those in the United States
Date: Saturday, May 5, 2018
Start Time: Approximately 5 p.m. ET (TV broadcast starts at 1:30 p.m. ET)
TV Channel: AWE (A Wealth of Entertainment)
Live Stream: DirecTV Now. While there are four different channel packages, AWE is included in the “Just Right”, “Go Big” and “Gotta Have It” bundles. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial no matter what package you choose, and you can then watch AWE and the fight live on your computer via the DirecTV Now website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the DirecTV Now app.
Preview
The first matchup saw Bellew stop his fellow countryman via TKO in the 11th round, but Haye, who was fighting for just the third time since a three-and-a-half year absence from the sport, suffered an Achilles injury–it was later revealed as a ruptured right Achilles tendon that required surgery–in the sixth round that certainly shaped the rest of the bout.
Before the first matchup against Bellew, Haye made his return to boxing with a couple really easy fights against Mark de Mori (first-round TKO) and Arnold Gjergjaj (second-round TKO), something he now admits was a mistake.
“The Dereck Chisora fight was my last competitive boxing match. Outside of that, in the two comeback fights, I didn’t get punched once,” said the 37-year-old. “It was just me beating someone up. I overestimated how good I was. I thought that I was as good as I was in 2012. You can’t just take a break, come back, and expect to be just as good. You need to work your way back up.”
This time around, he feels he’s more prepared to take on Bellew.
“If I use my brain and I make the right adjustments at the right times I’ll have rid of David Haye before the eighth round.”
Still, while Haye is eager to get back to his winning ways, Bellew will be looking to prove that the first fight wasn’t a fluke, and that he can take down a fully-fit Haye. But beyond each man needing to prove himself, there could be much more on the line in the form of a potential bout against Joseph Parker, the former world champ who just became the first fighter to take Anthony Joshua the distance.
“Joseph Parker himself and our team would back him against almost anyone, and certainly would back him against the winner of Bellew-Haye,” said promoter David Higgins.
But that’s something to think about in the future. For now, it’s Haye vs. Bellew 2, which should be thoroughly entertaining no matter who has his hands raised after the final bell.
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