“Virtually dead.”
That’s how Eddie Hearn described the chances of witnessing a rematch between Tony Bellew and David Haye last month.
“I don’t think Bellew-Haye will happen,” Hearn told Sky Sports at the beginning of August. “Although there were hugs and kisses in the ring after the fight, trying to get these two to agree to anything is a complete disaster.”
It seemed like a clash with pound-for-pound king Andre Ward was growing ever closer for Bellew while Haye continued his recovery from the ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered in his first meeting with ‘Bomber’ earlier this year.
The appetite was certainly there among fans to watch Bellew vs. Haye II given the ongoing bad blood between the British fighters and the bizarre nature of the March bout, which was ultimately decided by Haye’s leg injury as the 36-year-old was forced to fight on one foot for half the contest.
But an inability to agree to terms with one another seemingly brought an end to any hope of seeing the rematch.
However maybe Hearn was too quick to write off the likelihood of it taking place because, according to Bellew’s camp, positive negotiations are ongoing.
“All I know is that obviously there are talks going on,” trainer Dave Coldwell told Sky Sports on Thursday. “They have been back and forth for quite a while now really I suppose, but I believe there are positive talks going on.
“It is one of those fights that are possible. Whether or not it gets finalised or not, I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Earlier this week, Haye teased a fight announcement by claiming that he was eager to return to the ring before the year is out, with confirmation of an opponent expected in the next fortnight.
Not too long to wait https://t.co/UXHNTe7ZSX
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) September 5, 2017
When asked if a December date would suit Bellew, Coldwell admitted that the timeline would work for the Liverpool boxer.
“Yes, possibly,” Coldwell said of a fight in December. “That’s what we’re hoping for.”
Whether Bellew vs. Haye II actually comes to fruition or not remains to be seen but it definitely seems a lot closer to a reality than when Hearn dismissed it outright just four weeks ago.
