David Haye vs. Mark De Mori: Winner, Recap and Reaction

After a 1,281-day absence from the ring, British slugger David Haye (27-2, 25 KOs) needed just over two minutes to prove he was back to shake up the heavyweight division, savagely defeating the unheralded Mark de Mori (30-2-2, 26 KOs) with a first-round knockout.

This was no contest. Haye made mincemeat of De Mori with incredible ease. Write on the Button has the knockout blow:

Football commentator Ian Darke passed along his take on the bout: 

In the post-bout interview, Haye talked up a potential fight with rising British star Anthony Joshua, per Saturday Night Boxing's Adam Abramowitz: 

It would be a quick return to high-profile action, considering the brevity of Saturday's fight and the long layoff that preceded it. Haye last took to the squared circle in July of 2012, knocking out Dereck Chisora in the fifth round. Nagging shoulder injuries kept him away from the sport and prevented him from taking on ascendant Tyson Fury. 

Finally fit and at the heaviest weight of his career (227 pounds), the 35-year-old Haye seemed intent on making up for lost time against his unheralded opponent. De Mori hadn't yet fought a boxer of Haye's calibre in his career, and it clearly showed on Saturday in the quick defeat.

Haye fought on the front foot from the outset and immediately sent several punches crashing through De Mori's weak defense. A strong uppercut left De Mori cocooning on the ropes, and the Australian looked dangerously out of his depth.

Bad Left Hook saw the trouble almost immediately: 

Haye laid it on thick from there, and a series of overhand rights flattened De Mori and ended the bout at the 2:11 mark of the round.

There was no ring rust to be found in Haye's performance. He boxed as brightly as his shimmering gold-and-white gloves. That said, Bad Left Hook's Tom Craze cautioned against extrapolating from this display: 

USA Today's Mike Coppinger did note the heavyweight division can benefit from Haye's presence:

The massive crowd on hand at the O2 Arena should serve as evidence of Haye's welcome return to the sport. For De Mori, this defeat will obviously do no favors for his career. He'll be back to fighting no-names when he recovers.

Haye's ambitions are no secret, per Gareth A. Davies of the Telegraph: 

"

My motivation is exactly the same as at the moment I knocked down Chisora: to be heavyweight champion of the world. Along the way, the money comes. Even if there was no money in boxing, this is what I would do, because this is what I'm meant to do. Some fights you don't earn big, but they can set up bigger paydays later on. This fight is about me getting back on the map and proving to the fans that I'm healthy and that I can do this.

"

The brilliant return will likely ignite the talks of a potential bout with Joshua. Haye's power cannot be denied, and his experience could prove troublesome for the 26-year-old Joshua. Despite the massive gap in age and professional experience, both fighters have their sights set on working their way to the top of the division.

Haye might want to get in another tune-up bout before fighting Joshua, but the boxing world might not want to wait.