Former two-division world champion David Haye is making a comeback from retirement. And his first opponent, as expected, is an undermatched opponent as he eyes bigger targets on the horizon. Haye - 26-2, 24 KOs - will meet the unheralded Mark De Mori - 30-1-2, 26 KOs - On January 16 in London. Oddsmakers have pegged Haye as a 25-1 favorite going into the bout.
Boxing odds at BookMaker.eu
David Haye -2500
Mark De Mori +1000
ODDS ANALYSIS
Although it's been almost four years since we last saw David Haye in the ring, the odds at BookMaker.eu clearly show that many don't feel he's done yet. He should still be able to be a little-known Mark De Mori with ease. Because the lines are so lopside in the bout, I'd expect most of the money to go into the over/under or prop bets.
THE RETURN OF THE 'HAYEMAKER'
With the Wladimir Klitschko's loss at the hands of Tyson Fury, the heavyweight division is wide open, luring David Haye back into the fight game. Haye was scheduled to fight Fury in 2013, and he was actually a -350 favorite over Fury. Many still feel that Haye could beat a number of the current world champs.
In fact, Haye is already looking past De Mori and straight at Anthony Joshua, the Commonwealth heavyweight champ. Haye stated that he'd like to face the unbeaten Joshua by summer 2016 if possible.
'I think definitely in the summer or towards the end of the year, if that is a fight that Anthony Joshua would want, then it is a fight that can be made,' Hay said to Sky Sports. 'I've got my fight against Mark De Mori lined up but once that is out of the way, then we can talk about it. I think he probably needs one or two pre-fights before he would be ready for someone on my level but if he wants to do that before, let's go for it.'
Many are speculating on whether Haye is serious in a quest for the world title. The fight against Joshua has all the makings of a payday bout. Still, if Haye can claim the Commonwealth title and beat a ranked fighter like Joshua, all of a sudden things are looking up for the British fighter, especially in a world where countryman Tyson Fury is the champ.
THE EARLY PLAYS
Like I stated earlier, Haye is too expensive to make any money. You'll want to take a long look at the prop bets, particularly the over/under. While it hasn't been released at this time, the under projects to be a decent payout if the round total isn't too low. It'll certainly be better than the 25-to-1 odds you'll get on Haye to win, which isn't likely to budge leading into fight night.
HOW TO BET
Check in during fight night and get the latest live betting updates at Bookmaker Sportsbook. You can bet on real-time odds during the bout, allowing you to hedge your bets or even make new ones as you watch on live television. Haye-De Mori takes place on Saturday, January 16, 2015 at the O2 Arena in London, U.K. The matchup will be televised on SkySports.
