Mammoth punchers Deontay Wilder, Alexander Dimtrenko and Mariusz Wach were all drafted into the Hayemaker camp as preparations came to a head for the massive pay-per-view clash, although the decision now looks to have had an adverse affect.
Haye, 32, suffered a deep gash in the second round of a sparring session of Friday night, just a week prior to his biggest fight since challenging Wladimir Klitschko in 2011, putting paid to his eagerly-anticipated battle with undefeated Fury in Manchester.
Fans had been clambering for tickets and lining up to pay the £14.95 Sky Sports Box Office PPV fee to catch a glimpse of the two rivals in action next week, but now face an anxious wait to see if and when the contest will be rearranged in future.
There is no doubt that 25 year-old Fury would not have taken this news well having put his heart and soul into a full-on Belgian training camp. Plus, all the talking had been done and all and sundry were sitting back just waiting for the fight week build-up, that is now on hold, to begin in earnest.
The Londoner’s decision to spar such heavy-hitters has certainly back-fired in the end, even if the move was necessary, and is yet another blow to Haye’s pre-fight preparations following the split between coach Adam Booth and good friend George Groves.
So what now? Will the fight ever go ahead now that all the water that has gushed under the Haye v Fury bridge? Who knows?
It may now be down to Fury and whether he will move on from Haye or if the 6ft 9ins man mountain wants to restage the big money bout. It’s probably too early to tell with so much disappointment surrounding what might have been – as the British boxing scene contemplates what was so close and yet only eight days and a million miles away.
