Tony Bellew vs. David Haye II

David Haye's Haymaker Promotion is teaming up with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing to bring a nine fight card to the O2 Arena in London, England on Saturday, May 5th. This card features two bouts in particular that are receiving a lot of attention from boxing fans around the world - Bellew vs. Haye II and Rodriguez vs. Butler.

In the main event, Tony Bellew (29-2-1, 19 KOs) will square off against David Haye (28-3, 26 KOs) in a rematch of their March 4, 2017 bout in which Bellew, a former WBC Cruiserweight Champion, won by 11th round TKO over the 37-year-old former cruiserweight and heavyweight world champion, David Haye. In what appeared to be a close fight, both men suffered injuries in the match that contributed to the outcome of the contest. Haye suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, and Bellew broke his hand. The second installment of this British grudge match is scheduled for twelve rounds in the heavyweight division.

The card also features an IBF Bantamweight Title fight between Emmanuel Rodriguez (17-0, 12 KOs) and Paul Butler (26-1, 14 KOs). Rodriguez, a native of Puerto Rico, will travel to Butler's homeland to fight in his first world title bout. He held the WBC Latino Bantamweight Title from 2015 to 2017, and has won seven of his last eight fights by way of knockout. His most recent victory was a fourth round stoppage over Mexico's Giovanni Delgado on August 5, 2017 in Puerto Rico. Butler, a former WBA Continental Bantamweight Champion, has one blemish on his record, a TKO loss to Zolani Tate in 2015. He has won his last nine fights, with his most recent victory coming earlier this year against Jefferson Vargas.

Saturday's card also features the following bouts:

Martin J. Ward (19-0-2, 9 KOs) vs. James Tennyson (21-2, 17 KOs) - 12 rounds, for Ward's European Junior Lightweight Title

Lenroy Thomas (22-4-1, 10 KOs) vs. Joe Joyce (3-0, 3 KOs) - 12 rounds, for Thomas' Commonwealth Heavyweight Title

John Ryder (25-4, 13 KOs) vs. Jamie Cox (25-1, 14 KOs) - 12 rounds, super middleweights

Joshua Buatsi (5-0, 3 KOs) vs. Stephane Cuevas (8-1-3, 4 KOs) - eight rounds, light heavyweights

Jordan Gill (19-0, 4 KOs) vs. David Berna (15-3, 14 KOs) - six rounds, super featherweights

Kody Davies (3-0, 1 KO) vs. Przemyslaw Gorgon (6-2, 3 KOs) - four rounds, light heavyweights

Money Powell IV (6-0, 3 KOs) vs. Mark Krammerstodter (3-2-1, 2 KOs) - four rounds, super welterweights

The card will air live in the United States on AWE at 1:30 PM EST.

MW

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Nikolai Valuev vs. the Almasty (Russian Bigfoot)

Former Russian heavyweight boxer, Nikolai Valuev (50-2, 34 KOs) hung up the boxing gloves in 2009. The former WBA World Heavyweight Champion and seven feet tall man fought many of the top heavyweights of his time including, John Ruiz, Ruslan Chagaev, Evander Holyfield, and David Haye. Following his retirement from boxing, Valuev entered the world of politics. He holds the position of a deputy in the Russian State Duma, which the narrator of the show explains is the Russian equivalent of a member of Parliament in Great Britain.

In 2013, he appeared in an episode of the "hit television show," Bigfoot Files. Apparently some of his constituents were concerned about a Almasty or Russian Bigfoot sighting in the area... Valuev being the "Almasty enthusiast" he is, made it a point to visit the eyewitnesses, three boys who live in an area that appears to be the "Deep South of Russia." Valuev earned his paycheck that day by "confirming" the creature in the video was not a bear, and scaring the children into promising to not swear anymore. After watching this video, we have some questions for Bigfoot Files...

Have you ruled out Valuev as being the Almasty caught on film in this video? Perhaps his duties as a Russian Deputy don't take up enough of his time. Perhaps he "moonlights" as a mysterious monster that runs around in the Russian wilderness. Have you seen this guy? We wouldn't want to run into him in a dark alley...

Go to the 31:00 minute mark of the video, and thank us later wasting part of your Friday!

TWI Staff

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