"If I win and struggle, if I get knocked down and get cut and it's a life and death fight, then I'll feel I'll call it a day as realistically I couldn't with hand on heart say if I can't conclusively beat Tony Bellew then what would the point be of trying to get in the ring with an absolute monster like Anthony Joshua. I'd only get hurt."
Those were the words of David Haye when he spoke to Ger on Friday night's Off The Ball.
Tonight, we got the take of his opponent Tony Bellew as the two prepare for their May 5th rematch, following last year's original fight which was won by Bellew.
Despite winning the first fight, the Liverpudlian wasn't wholly satisfied by his own showing.
"I was disappointed in myself that I gassed in Rounds 7 and 8. Don't get me wrong, I got my second wind and finished him off in 11 but ultimately I didn't feel like I showed the best of me that night," he told Nathan Murphy and Kevin Kilbane.
"It was one of my worser nights in boxing. I didn't perform. When the injury [to Haye] occurred, I was boxing very nice until Round 5. I was making him miss, I was making him pay and then all of a sudden, his Achilles ruptured in Round 6 and then I tried to go crazy for the knockout and so I didn't really box well."
Acknowleding the striking power of an opponent who he describes as "about as humble as Madonna" and a "high speed bully", Bellew plans to box smart against Haye second time round.
"I'm not stupid. I can't get into a trading match with him in the first four rounds. That just can't happen. I can't afford to trade with a bigger puncher. He's shown that throughout his career," said Bellew, adding that he feels his stamina means he will grow into the fight as Haye tires.
The Everton fan also chatted about the ideal of boxing not retiring him and also touched on the options after the Haye fight should he win - tantalizingly airing confidence about his chances if he were to face the likes of Tyson Fury.
"I can accept that they're just bigger guys," said Bellew of the likes of Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua.
"Maybe not Tyson Fury because he's not a puncher. I do think I can genuinely beat Tyson Fury. Deontay Wilder and them are just bigger, stronger men. They have too many advantages over me so I can live with the fact that I'd lose to them because their natural size and power takes over, makes it virtually impossible to beat them and I can live with that."
