Boxing
Nick Parkinson 6y

David Haye's history of being frequently injured

Boxing

David Haye, who has pulled out of facing Tony Bellew on Dec. 17, has a long history of postponements and injuries.

The British heavyweight rivals were due to meet in a non-title rematch at the O2 Arena in London but Haye pulled out Monday with a left bicep injury.

It is the latest in a series of injury setbacks for 37-year-old Haye, who has previously pulled out of fights against Wladimir Klitschko and Tyson Fury.

Haye's career has looked finished due to injury more than once.

And even before he had started his professional career, Haye pulled out of the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester after his first bout with a bicep injury. He had been favourite to win gold in the amateur competition.

Haye, who turned professional in 2002, pulled out of facing Mark Hobson in July 2005 with a hamstring.

After unifying world titles at cruiserweight, Haye reigned as WBA world heavyweight champion from November 2009 until July 2011, when he was beaten on points by Ukrainian Klitschko in a world title unification fight.

Haye pulled out of facing Klitschko 17 days before he first supposed to fight him in June 2009, citing a back injury suffered in training. Klitschko was told about Haye's injury while being interviewed by the British media at his training base in Austria. More than 60,000 tickets had already been sold for the world title fight that was due to take place in Germany.

Haye then complained that he went into the 2011 fight with Klitschko with injured little toe.

Haye beat Dereck Chisora a year later but there was then over three years of inactivity due to injuries.

Haye had to pull out of boxing Lebanese-born Syrian-German Manuel Charr with a hand injury in May 2013 and then a fight against Fury was postponed after the Londoner suffered a cut in sparring in September 2013.

Haye pulled out of facing English rival Fury for a second time in November 2013 after a five-hour operation to rebuild his right shoulder resulted in surgeons advising him to retire.

But Haye resumed his career with two easy wins in 2016 and started the betting favourite against Bellew earlier this year.

Haye suffered an Achilles tendon injury in his 11th round loss to Bellew on March 4 and the rematch was set to be bigger than anything in British boxing this year other than world heavyweight titleholder Anthony Joshua's two fights.

Bellew (28-2-1, 19 KOs), 35, from Liverpool, won their first fight at the same indoor venue by 11th round stoppage after Haye (28-3, 26 KOs) ruptured his right Achilles in the sixth round and was left with reduced mobility -- and an easier target -- for the rest of the fight.

Haye, from south London, needed an operation on his injured Achilles before signing to fight Bellew again.

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