David Haye Knocks Out Mark De Mori In The First Round

David Haye took less than three minutes to start his comeback after more than three years in absentia has he knocked out Australian Mark de Mori.

Not a very difficult job, it has to be said, but one that needed doing as quickly and emphatically as possible if London's former world heavyweight champion is to regain one of those titles. An astonishingly large crowd for such an uncompetitive event rose to salute Haye as a returning hero. The fight lasted for just two minutes and 11 seconds of the first round before De Mori subsided to the canvas and decided to stay there did offer some nostalgic glimpses of Haye's speed and power.

He went for the apprehensive Aussie from the first bell, throwing punches in brief clusters, when the old Hayemaker was detonated De Mori headed south helped downwards by a couple more glancing blows and waited for referee Paul Williams to perform the concluding rites. It was enough to suggest that Haye can be a danger in a fractured heavyweight division, if not sufficient as yet to convince the watching world that he is sure to be a champion again, at 35.