Event of the Day: Tony Bellew versus David Haye
Our event of the day is the professional boxing heavyweight match between Tony Bellew and David Haye at the O2 Arena in London. The British boxers clashed for the first time at the same venue in March 2017 when Bellew emerged victorious, winning the bout in the 11th round by Technical Knock Out. Bellew (29-2-1, 19 by KO) broke his hand early on in that fight, but Haye (28-3, 26 by KO) suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in the sixth round and his corner had to throw in the towel in the 11th, and he actually underwent surgery the same night.
The highly anticipated rematch was at first planned for December 2017, but the ‘Hayemaker’ injured his arm in the buildup and the match was postponed for today. In the meantime, former WBA heavyweight champion Haye parted ways with his trainer Shane McGuigan and hired Ismael Salas, in the hope of reaching a much improved performance level. At the pre-bout weigh-in, both fighters came in with a loss in weight – Bellew weighed in at 210.4 pounds, 3.6 pounds lighter than last year’s personal record when he put on the weight to move from cruiserweight to the heavyweight class; and Haye weighed in at 220.2 pounds (he was at 224.9 pounds prior to the first fight). Bellew (35) is two years younger than his opponent at 37, but Haye has a slight advantage in reach – 78 inches compared to the Bomber’s 74 inches. Both fighters are 6 ft 3 inches and have an orthodox stance in the ring. Will Haye have his revenge or will Bellew confirm his dominance with another win? You don’t want to miss the showdown at the O2 Arena.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the last round of the Aviva Premiership Rugby season, with the pick of games the clash between Newcastle Falcons and Wasps at Kingston Park in Newcastle upon Tyne. Both teams have qualified for the playoff by finishing in the top four, but will battle it out for the third place position, currently occupied by Wasps with 66 points, while the Falcons have 63 points in fourth. In the Indian Premier League, the Sunrisers Hyderabad host the Delhi Daredevils at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Day 2 of the 2018 Giro d’Italia sees the second stage from Haifa to Tel Aviv, a 167km flat stage. In the MLS, the New York Red Bulls face New York City FC in the New York City derby at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison. In La Liga, Villarreal come up against Valencia at the Estadio de la Cerámica in Villarreal. It’s Day 2 of the 2018 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville. It’s the sixth day of the ATP World Tour BMW Open at the Tennis club MTTC Iphitos in Munich; and Day 16 of the World Championship in snooker at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. The PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte goes into its third day, while the European Tour’s GolfSixes at the Centurion Club in St Albans starts today. In the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Nashville Predators meet the Winnipeg Jets at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Fixture
Photos by Tony Bellew (1st picture); O2 Arena (2nd picture)