Tony Bellew accuses David Haye of playing the ‘race card’ as trash talk turns nasty

Trash talk is part and parcel of boxing.

Often it's one part genuine and two parts engineered for publicity. It all helps drive up public interest and ultimately fight revenue. Pretty much anything goes, but sometimes it can go too far and tip over into genuine nastiness. The great Muhammad Ali is and always will be a legend both inside and out of the ring, but he was certainly not immune to humiliating his foes in a manner than was unbecoming. Joe Frazier never forgave him for his 'Uncle Tom' taunts and cruel jibes about his appearance. Ahead of their fight on Saturday night, Tony Bellew and David Haye have been doing their jobs in stoking up the fervour around the bout. The beef has been harsh and personal, and that's to be expected. Although any reference to race is a minefield. Haye has branded Bellew's camp - or rather his committed supporters - as racist ahead of the big night, and alleges to have heard racist comments directed towards him at their last press conference. Bellew is less than pleased with the insinuation. Speaking to iFL TV, the Liverpudlian has accused Haye of essentially making the accusations up and playing the race card.

"They were disgusting comments...There [was] no racial element from the crowd. How can they be racist towards him when I'm just as black as him? My mother's black - she's blacker than David. He's a liar. A proven liar."

The full interview is below. Unlike some much publicised 'grudge fights' this one looks to be the real thing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1vSwB_vF9Y