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As their March 4th grudge match nears, Tony Bellew, who will be fighting at heavyweight for the first time, admits that he’s been working on speed in order to get ready to face David Haye. Bellew tells Sky Sports that he’s aware of Haye’s typical advantages in the ring and that he’s looking to negate them.
"His advantage is speed - every single fight, against anyone he's fought, he's always quicker than them. So if I can get anywhere near his speed, he's in for a shock.
"...he's lightning fast to other heavyweights. He isn't quicker than some of the cruiserweights I've faced, so the speed isn't going to be an issue for me. The judging of distance will be.
Bellew hopes to weigh around 15 stone (210lbs) come fight night and Bellew says he draws confidence from the fact that he isn’t facing a young and hungry David Haye, but rather one who is only fighting because he needs the money.
Will that be enough of a difference in Bellew’s favor? We’ll find out soon enough...