One of the prevailing themes of the pre-fight build-up to David Haye vs Tony Bellew has been the constant reminders from Bellew and his team that Haye is only taking the fight for financial reasons. But is this really true?
First off, it’s really none of anyone’s business what Haye’s financial position is.
But due to the frequent nature that it’s been brought up by both Bellew and his promoter Eddie Hearn in the run up to this weekend’s fight in London, it’s something worth discussing from a mind games standpoint.
Whenever it’s been brought up during the press conferences and interviews Haye has simply laughed off the claims but yesterday, after an interview with Kugan Cassius of IFL TV, Haye gave his most clear indication that the claim is totally bogus.
First off, his jet setting training camps in high class locations like Miami, training on yachts and so forth, don’t exactly indicate a man who is broke.
But it was interesting yesterday that Haye, a man who is very private when it comes to his family, brought up the fact his kids are in private school, he could afford to buy Tony Bellew’s house many times over and asked Cassius what exactly is the definition of being ‘skint’.
Does this have anything to do with boxing or even Saturday night’s fight?
Of course not.
But it does have something to do with the mind games being instigated by Bellew and his team in my opinion.
On top of the other verbals that Haye is a ‘broken man’ and that his old injury to his shoulder will play tricks on him mentally before the fight.
It’s the usual mental warfare that accompanies the eve of a pay per view fight really.
Some have suggested that Haye is rattled by Bellew.
I agree that he definitely lost his rag a bit at the final Liverpool press conference yesterday.
But in many ways, I think Bellew and his team are grasping at straws like the above claims that Haye is broke to try anything they can at all to get under his skin, to take him out of his gameplan.
Most of which, in reality, probably have very little merit.
Here’s hoping it’s a good fight on Saturday night for as long as it lasts though. Whichever way it goes.
