David Haye has vowed to ensure that Tony Bellew will never box again after their eagerly-anticipated heavyweight clash on Saturday.
The long-time rivals will meet at the O2 Arena this weekend in what will be WBC cruiserweight champion Bellew's first bout at heavyweight, taking on the former world champion at that weight.
The pair came face to face in a heated press conference in front of a heavily pro-Bellew crowd on Merseyside this afternoon, and Haye admitted that his opponent gets under his skin.
"You're a fucking chump. You'll see what a broken man can do to you on March 4. I'm going smash your fucking head in and both of us know it. All of these fucking retards know it as well. Bet all of your fucking money on it - he's getting done," he said at the press conference.
"Take a loan out and bet it on Tony Bellew. If you're all so brave, bet all the money that you have and bet it on Tony Bellew - that's how you show your support. But deep in all of your tiny minds you know this guy is getting drilled to the canvas pretty fast. I've just got to turn up and knock this dickhead out - it's an easy job.
Haye later told Sky Sports News: "Yeah, of course he has got under my skin. I would not have taken the fight if he did not get under my skin. The fact that he chased me around and the fact that he jumped out of the ring after the BJ Flores fight and tried to attack me - that is stuff people don't normally do to me.
"It has definitely generated the interest and got the fight here but I don't know what he is going to do to survive the first couple of rounds. I am hoping and praying he does so it is a good fight for the fans, but I don't know what he can do. Maybe tuck up really tight and hope I don't knock him out or hope I get tired of beating him up, but all it takes is one of my shots around the side of his head and it is good night.
"The heavyweight division will be looking at this interest even though Tony Bellew is not a bonafide heavyweight. But I am and they want to see how I fare against the WBC cruiserweight champion of the world. I don't want to be struggling here. I don't want to have a nip-and-tuck fight where it is quite even. I need to go out there and do a complete and utter destruction job on Tony Bellew.
"I want to make sure that is it - it's over for him and that he is never fighting again. I don't want him to come back and start defending his titles. He has disrespected me too much for that. I need to finish his career in one fight and I will do it. I don't need many punches. I need three or four punches in a combination to finish him."
Haye is 28-2 with 26 knockouts throughout his career, while Bellew is 28-2-1 with 18 knockouts.
