David Haye vs. Tony Bellew: Fight Date Announced, Comments and Reaction

Former world heavyweight champion David Haye is to fight Tony Bellow on March 4, 2017, at the O2 Arena in London, it was confirmed on Friday.

Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn revealed the heavyweight bout was to go ahead on Twitter:

"

Rumble baby Rumble! @mrdavidhaye v @TonyBellew is ON!!! @TheO2 March 4th 2017  @SkySports pic.twitter.com/U5HvSIDVzC

— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) November 25, 2016"

Haye posted the following clip on his own account, in which he insisted the fight will be an easy night's work *warning, includes explicit language*:

It’ll be the third fight Haye has had since he came out of retirement, having previously secured comfortable wins over Mark de Mori and Arnold Gjergjaj.

The bout with Bellew will be a much bigger test for the 36-year-old, who is seeking to establish himself as a world-class heavyweight again.

Bellew, the WBC cruiserweight champion, will step up in weight to take on his compatriot. After his most recent win over BJ Flores, the Liverpool-born puncher said Haye had been "conning the British public since his pathetic comeback started," per Matt Horan of Sky Sports.

Here's a closer listen to what Bellew had to say to Haye, per Sky Sports News HQ:

Haye is a former WBA heavyweight champion, having beaten Nikolai Valuev for the title in 2009. However, the Bermondsey-born puncher lost a unification fight against Wladimir Klitschko in 2011, and although he beat Dereck Chisora in London in 2012, he took a three-year break from the sport.

Given this bout is at heavyweight, the man known as the Hayemaker will be a huge favourite to beat Bellew. However, given the charismatic nature of both fighters, sparks will inevitably fly in the buildup to the scrap and on the night itself.

A win is vital for Haye and would make his status a little clearer in the heavyweight picture. With Tyson Fury vacating the WBO and WBA titles due to medical issues, there are belts up for grabs; compatriot Anthony Joshua, the IBF champion, and Klitschko would also make for fascinating opponents for him further down the line.