Former cruiserweight and heavyweight world champion David Haye came out of retirement and scored a points win over Joe Fournier.
The Hayemaker, 40, took on Fournier on the undercard of the bout between Evander Holyfield and Vitor Belfort at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
It had been more than three years since Haye lost to Tony Bellew at the O2 Arena in London where he lost by TKO in round five.
All three judges scored in favour of Haye over eight rounds, two by 79-72 and a third 80-71.
Belfort stops Holyfield in first round
A sad spectacle comes to an unsurprising end. Belfort walks forwards unchallenged from the opening bell and unleashes a barrage of punches. The pressure causes Holyfield to slip through the ropes and, although he’s back on his feet and fine to continue, he’s dropped by a relatively lethargic combination just seconds later. After beating the count, he takes another series of punches without offering any response and the referee stops the fight. This was a dreadful show that should never have been allowed to take place.
This is Holyfield’s first fight in a decade after a career many agree continued far too long. The hall-of-famer is 58 years old and we can only hope this bout remains true to its status as an exhibition for entertainment rather than in the vein of an actual professional contest.
In his post-fight interview, Haye said: “There’s one fighter I’d come back to professional boxing for. That’s Tyson Fury.
“That big fat dosser, I know his kryptonite, I know what he can’t handle.
“He wants a fight? The Hayemaker will come for you. When Tyson Fury really wants a challenge… the fans want to see it, the fans want to see
