WBC cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew has suggested that David Haye went "beyond the call of duty" after not throwing in the towel earlier because of an injury during their memorable clash at the O2 Arena.
Bellew produced a historic victory over former heavyweight champion Haye, as the Liverpudlian took advantage of a reported Achilles injury picked up by his opponent in the sixth round in order to secure a win during the 11th.
"Just before the stoppage I looked at David and said 'stop now'. He shook his head. He went beyond the call of duty," said Bellew, according to BBC Sport.
"I looked at Shane McGuigan (Haye's trainer) and said 'stop it'. I was worried as he couldn't box.
"In rounds four and five he was tired but he was blocking, when we got to nine, I felt myself on top of him and I could feel him panicking. I said, 'stop, stop' and he went 'no'. He gets a lot of admiration from me from a sportsman's perspective."
Bellew's victory has since led some corners of the boxing world to hint at a possible heavyweight showdown with either Deontay Wilder or Joseph Parker.
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