David Haye could be in a spot of bother after his reprehensible behaviour during a Liverpool press conference with Tony Bellew.
The 35-year-old former World cruiserweight and WBA World heavyweight champion, under a barrage of abuse from Bellew and the baying hometown mob, turned to the crowd and labelled them "fucking retards."
He was rightly lambasted for needless use of an offensive term which, thankfully, has become more scarcely heard in recent years.
David Haye comments
It got seriously heated in Liverpool today. The racist scumbag #BellendBellew Fans are a real prize bunch of drunk moronic imbeciles. #Scum pic.twitter.com/ljxCaSikUR
— David Haye (@davidhaye) February 27, 2017
Irish-based boxing publication BoxingNewsAndViews.com has learned that the British Boxing Board of Control intend to take action against Haye, and possibly Bellew, for their behaviour in the lead-up to their Sky Sports Box Office fight.
General Secretary of the BBBofC told Niall Doran of BNAV:
We are obviously disappointed in all comments that have been made leading up to this contest. Obviously we feel a lot of comments are inappropriate. I have spoken to the parties involved. I have spoken to Mr.Haye and Mr.Bellew and I have asked them to behave themselves along with other people. We have a board meeting next week when we are going to discuss what action we are going to take.
Bellew's conduct, while frequently foul-mouthed, has hardly warranted more than a slap on the wrist. Haye, however, is no stranger to disciplinary hearings with the Board, and could face further action for his use of such a horrible term.
The Hayemaker is yet to apologise for his actions, but implied in his above tweet that he had suffered racial abuse at the hands of Bellew's fans.
Speaking to SecondsOut yesterday, Haye elaborated, but again declined the opportunity to apologise for his use of the word 'retard'.
There wasn't a lot, but there was more than there needed to be. But it was a bunch of idiots, and I didn't enjoy that side of it. But that's what [Bellew] brings to the table. His crew don't realise what his background is. He's obviously mixed race as well. But it is what it is. I don't want to spend much time focusing on them. They're morons, good luck to them. Get them to bet all of their dole money on Tony Bellew to win the fight.
Former Ireland footballer Kevin Kilbane, whose daughter has Down Syndrome, was one of Haye's more vocal critics following his press conference remarks.
Kilbane is an ambassador for Down Syndrome Ireland, and speaking on Newstalk's Off The Ball, he explained that the term isn't offensive merely to he or other parents whose children are born with similar genetic disorders, but to the people themselves who are born with them.
Down Syndrome Ireland ambassador @kdkilbane77 slams @mrdavidhaye's behaviour yesterday. #OffTheBall https://t.co/cNfxZytsSd
— eir Sport (@eirSport) February 28, 2017
Kilbane said:
This sort of language is disgraceful.
And I understand gamesmanship, I understand all the hype around fights and giving each other abuse, we've seen it all now, and it does seem to be genuine animosity between these two fair enough..
But for David Haye to use that word 'retard', not just once, because he's used it before.. For a man to stand up in front of so many people and use that term, that word, it's disgraceful.
These sort of terms are the equivalent of racism and sexism and I don't care what anybody says, it's exactly the same. And these sort of terms should be wiped out now. They're totally unacceptable and for David Haye to use that word, it's outrageous.
