With eyes wide open to the task that faces him as he steps up in weight, Bellew sees this March clash with Haye as a straight shootout but believes the ex-heavyweight champion is bereft of the bottle needed to get there first.
“I’ve backed him into a corner, left him nowhere to go, and now I have what I want,” said Bellew.
“I’m not under any illusions, I know exactly what I am going up against, it’s big risk, big reward.
“I cop him with my best punch, he’s going to sleep. He cops me with his best punch, more than likely I am going to sleep too.
“I know what I am up against but the big factor for me is, I’m a very active fighter, I’ve had no breaks and I’ve got very little wear and tear on me. If it comes down to a question of heart and determination I win hands down. If it comes down to one punch, it’s a 50-50.
“He hasn’t been in a hard fight for over five years. The last time he had a gut check, he failed it. Going into this fight I 100 per cent know that he does not want it as much as me and he is not going to be as brave as me.”
Haye, 35, fought two low-key return victories in 2016 on the back of a lengthy absence dating back to 2012, but goes into the fight as the heavy favourite to end the argument started by his UK rival earlier this year.
