David Haye vs Tony Bellew postponed after former world champion suffers freak training injury

Haye has suffered an arm injury in training and has been forced to postpone the rematch

David Haye’s anticipated heavyweight rematch with Tony Bellew, set for 17 December, has been postponed.

The pair clashed at the O2 Arena in March when Bellew secured an 11th round stoppage against Haye, who had suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in the sixth round.

But, after working his way back to full fitness, Londoner Haye had agreed a money-spinning pay-per-view return against Bellew at the same venue just eight days before Christmas.

However, it is understood that Haye has had to change those plans after picking up what has been described as a freak training injury.

The pair will now meet again in the new year once Haye has fully recovered from his latest problem.

Soon after The Independent broke the news of the postponement, Bellew took to Twitter, posting a pensive emoji and nothing else.

The former world heavyweight champion famously twice pulled out of scheduled showdowns with fellow Brit Tyson Fury in 2013 and 2014.

First he was cut badly in sparring just days before the initial date and then had to pull out of the rearranged date entirely after sustaining a career-threatening shoulder injury.

And now Haye, 37, has had to pull out of another domestic grudge match with his showdown against Bellew less than a month away.

Earlier this month there were rumours, which appeared to originate in America, that Haye had been injured in training and would no longer be able to fight Bellew.

It appears that there was no substance to those initial suggestions, but Haye instead picked up a problem just days after insisting he was fit to fight on 17 December.

Haye suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in the first meeting (Reuters)

Before his victory back in March, Bellew had predicted that Haye's body would 'break down' on him either in camp or in the ring and he was proven right.

After a reasonably close opening six rounds, the bout swung wildly in Bellew's favour when Haye sustained what was clearly a serious injury to his foot.

He was officially floored twice before the bout was stopped by referee Phil Edwards after 2:16 of the 11th round.