The Write Hook by Ciran Shanks

HAYE'S RETURN IS NO JOKE:

TV channel Dave is normally the home of witty banter.

But viewers hoping to tune into a Have I Got News For You repeat were instead treated to one of the boxing events of the year.

After a four-year absence from the ring, former heavyweight ruler David Haye’s comeback wasn't given the warmest reception when first announced.

The infamous toe injury after his bout with Wladimir Klitschko, the repeated postponements of a fight with Tyson Fury, the Hayemaker hasn't exactly been endeared himself to boxing fans in the last few years.

But to the surprise of many, the 35-year-old proved he is still a box office attraction after drawing an incredible 16,000 to London’s 02 Arena last Saturday for his return bout against Australian Mark De Mori.

And it took Haye less than a minute to obliterate the useless De Mori.

The finish was vintage Haye but almost everything else was new for the Bermondsey man.

No Union Jack trunks, no Adam Booth in the corner instead ably replaced by Shane McGuigan, and an all-time heaviest weight.

The choice of broadcaster for Haye’s welcome back party left many scratching their heads.

But the two Dave’s were the ones laughing in the end as three million people tuned in for the comeback clash.

Haye has now officially begun his quest to reach the top of the heavyweight division but, most importantly, make even more money.

Olympic golden boy and rising box office star Anthony Joshua is the primary target. The fight could well happen this year but Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn may want to let things bubble for 12-15 months.

Both could easily be world champions by 2017 with the heavyweight division now the most open its been in over a decade.

On the same night, current WBC champion Deontay Wilder struggled with Artur Spilkza before eventually starching the Pole in the tenth round.

The ever-boisterous Tyson Fury was ringside in Brooklyn to call out Wilder in the ring for a huge unification clash.

On the undercard American Charles Martin picked up the IBF title, which Fury was disgracefully stripped of, by toppling Vyacheslav Glazkov.

Haye couldn't have picked a better time to come back, on paper it shouldn't take him long to fight for world honours.

But don't be fooled by the De Mori demolition, that fight didn't prove anything.

We haven't seen if Haye’s speed is still there or if he can still manage to complete 12 rounds, something he hasn't done since 2011.

Make no mistake, the heavyweight division is even more exciting with Haye back on the scene.

George Foreman spent ten years away from the ring before re-capturing the world title while Ike Ibeabuchi is eyeing a comeback after a 16-year prison stint!

Anything’s possible in boxing and the Hayemaker could be a force to be reckoned with.