British boxer David Haye has revealed that his upcoming comeback fight against Australian Mark De Mori will be filmed in virtual reality.
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While both fighters have similar statistical records – Haye 26 wins from 28 fights and de Mori 30 wins from 33 fights – Haye is a former world champion, a $1.06 betting proposition and will be the clear favourite among the crowd.
The fight is Haye’s first since injury forced him to twice pull out of potential match-ups with Tyson Fury in 2013.
It is unlikely the reflexes which gave him such a reliable defence and lethal offence remain, and his previous speed will also be undermined by him weighing in at a career-high 16st 3lbs.
“Strangely, right now, I believe the biggest fight is Anthony Joshua”, he said of the London 2012 gold medallist who has put together an increasingly impressive 15-fight professional career in the few years Haye has been out of the ring. If De Mori can duck and dive to round six, it could get interesting. I’ve cheered him through all his fights and now I’m in the position where I get this fight out of the way Saturday night and that’s the fight I believe will be the biggest fight in the heavyweight division.
However, the only added benefit (which isn’t much) is the ability to turn and look at the audience; you can’t get very close to the action.
“People are saying this will be the tricky one, the first fight back is the tricky one”. Is he not tough enough? Haye will want him out in two or three minutes rather than two or three rounds. At 6ft 2ins he is an inch shorter than Haye, and on Friday tipped the scales at 17st 5lbs. We know what works now. “I think he’s good enough to beat him again”, he said of Fury.
“It would be a waste sitting around not competing and watching the other guys come through when I believe I’m better than them. Hopefully Anthony Joshua will continue doing what he’s doing and Eddie Hearn [Joshua’s promoter] has done a fantastic job: 15 fights and 15 knockouts”.
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“I just want an opportunity to show it”.
