Haye pockets £4.2m in defeat

Despite losing to Tony Bellew in their O2 Arena showdown on Saturday night, injured David Haye is set to pocket £1.4million MORE than his opponent.
Haye was the overwhelming favourite to win the heavyweight bout, but his corner threw in the towel in the 11th round after he ruptured his Achilles tendon.
Regardless of the result, it has emerged that Haye will pocket at least £4.2m from the fight, while Bellew is set to earn £2.8m.
It is understood Sky Sports Box Office expected a pay-per-view audience of 600,000 for the fight on Saturday night, but given the drama that occurred in the ring that figure could well have increased.
Bellew’s purse was by far the highest of his career so far, while Haye earned more than £10m for his defeat by Wladimir Klitschko back in 2011.
The Merseysider is unlikely to care about pocketing less than his opponent, given that the victory has opened doors for him to earn significantly more in the future.
At 35 years old and 32 fights down, Bellew’s career looked to be meandering to a close, but he is set to take part in a world heavyweight title fight next.
Haye, meanwhile, may not fight again after undergoing surgery on his Achilles the day after the fight.