Late on Saturday night Tony Bellew circled a broken David Haye in round 11 at the O2 inside a ring that had sat uneasily on the very edges of decency for most of the night and it was obvious that both had committed to fight to the bitter end.

Haye and Bellew had made promises during too many meetings before the first bell and it was clear after about 10 seconds that they would each honour their claims, each suffer to make their pact as genuine as the hatred had been. There was no phoney war, trust me.

Bellew took punches that had dropped men four-stone heavier and Haye, wobbled in the very first exchange, was caught flush repeatedly in the first two rounds because his timing was awful. There was not a moment to think, to feint, to probe; Haye was relentless, fighting to a ticking clock somewhere in his head and Bellew magnificent as he sought to box, move and contain Haye's swings.

David Haye vs Tony Bellew - in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 David Haye vs Tony Bellew - in pictures David Haye vs Tony Bellew - in pictures David Haye vs Tony Bellew Tony Bellew was first to the ring at the O2 Arena. Getty Images David Haye vs Tony Bellew - in pictures David Haye vs Tony Bellew David Haye made Bellew wait as he made his way to the ring slowly. Getty Images David Haye vs Tony Bellew - in pictures David Haye vs Tony Bellew Bellew impressed in the first round but Haye thought back to take the advantage. Getty Images David Haye vs Tony Bellew - in pictures David Haye vs Tony Bellew Haye was leading the fight when he suffered an injury tp his ankle. Getty Images David Haye vs Tony Bellew - in pictures David Haye vs Tony Bellew Haye limps back to his corner after suffering the injury. Getty Images David Haye vs Tony Bellew - in pictures David Haye vs Tony Bellew Trainer Shane McGuigan had to remove tape that he put around Haye's ankle. Getty Images David Haye vs Tony Bellew - in pictures David Haye vs Tony Bellew With Haye injured, Bellew was able to attack him at will without fear of being tagged. Getty Images David Haye vs Tony Bellew - in pictures David Haye vs Tony Bellew Haye was sent crashing out of the ring by a left hook to the head by Bellew. AFP/Getty Images David Haye vs Tony Bellew - in pictures David Haye vs Tony Bellew Bellew celebrates his victory over Haye. Getty Images David Haye vs Tony Bellew - in pictures David Haye vs Tony Bellew Bellew celebrates after the fight is stopped in round 11. Getty Images David Haye vs Tony Bellew - in pictures David Haye vs Tony Bellew Haye was pulled out of the fight by trainer Shane McGuigan. Getty Images David Haye vs Tony Bellew - in pictures David Haye vs Tony Bellew Haye looked disconsolate after the fight. Getty Images David Haye vs Tony Bellew - in pictures David Haye vs Tony Bellew Haye confirmed he intends to remain in the ring and will not retire. Getty Images David Haye vs Tony Bellew - in pictures David Haye vs Tony Bellew Bellew and Haye were both complimentary of each other afterwards despite the rivalry. Getty Images David Haye vs Tony Bellew - in pictures David Haye vs Tony Bellew Both Haye and Bellew said they were open to a rematch. Getty Images

There was a rapid improvement in Haye's timing by round four and the fight's ferocity eased slightly as it slipped away from the rounds when Haye was favoured and into the rounds that Bellew was expected to dominate. However, up until the injury the lines had started to blur and it looked like Haye was prepared for a longer night than people had thought.

The fight changed when Haye injured his Achilles in round six, Bellew had damaged both hands by round four and each was forced to take more punishment than they have at any point in their careers. They had no intention of looking away, there was nothing that either could do but continue getting up from their short corner reprieves to fight some more. The hate before the fight was, ladies and gentleman, real and that is why the fight was so relentlessly brutal.

Will there be a David Haye v Tony Bellew rematch?

Haye should have been retired at the end of round six when his right Achilles was damaged but the malevolence of their conferences and the excesses of their promises had to be met and they were in a fight that set new limits on pain. Haye had been in Germany four days before the fight having his shoulder and Achilles examined and he had promised that neither potentially career-ending injury would force him to quit. His bravery was stupid, but expected and he never turned away from Bellew's punches even when he lost the ability to move away.

At the end of five rounds Haye was leading, his Achilles was fine, but the fight was poised at the point where Bellew, who had boxed sensibly up until that moment, was expected to take over. He did once the injury was obvious and from that moment until the very violent end the fight was confirmed as a classic.

The Achilles injury ended Haye's ability to direct his punches, immediately stopped him from moving freely and it happened at a point in the fight that had been the subject of endless debate; could Haye actually win late or would Bellew force him to quit? Haye hobbled through the remainder of the sixth round, his pain and distress clearly visible from my seat three feet from the ropes. He tumbled over several times in the wild sixth as he tried to find some traction for his lame leg and it was just about the most pitiful thing I have seen in 35 years at ringside.

Haye stumbled and fell all over the ring from that point, handicapped by the injury, directed only by his heart; his looping desperate shots were easy for Bellew to avoid. Haye resembled a stricken beast, the mad bull that avoids the fatal thrust from a matador and staggers bleeding and doomed in the filthy dust of a forsaken fighting pit. He was wounded but still dangerous.

At one point in round eight, Haye, stuck in his own corner having been able to only move just about six inches once the bell went, had to hold the rope with his right hand to steady his body as he desperately tried to sway away from Bellew's punches. It was desperate stuff and in Bellew's corner a man called David Coldwell was having to read the riot act and telling his boxer to use his brain. Haye, amazingly, still believed that he had that one glorious punch left that could alter the fight's outcome. Bellew is a smarter fighter than he wants anybody to imagine and he was quite brilliant with his patience.

Tony Bellew: Bodies don't win you fights, heart and brains do

They somehow fought through nine and 10, Haye no more mobile than he had been when the Achilles went and often falling over or into the ropes each time he tried to land a punch. Haye was exhausted and Bellew was, by the end of round 10, also marked and tired. Bellew had boxed a perfect fight, but would it have been different if Haye had not suffered the injury and been forced to deal with Bellew without the essential luxury of movement. Was Haye really blowing before the injury? He was not noticeably flailing, his attempt at survival was draining him and Bellew had a trapped target from the crazy sixth round. Haye refused to blame the Achilles and limped from the arena to a hospital praising Bellew, a final classy act to end the conflict.

Just before the finish in the 11th round the compassion in Bellew had fully replaced the rage and he asked Haye to quit; there was no chance of either man surrendering after so many hours of malice in a build-up that created the excesses of the fight and at times shamed the business. Bellew then finished it, his punches not reduced by any fear of harming the helpless man at his mercy. Haye was left draped and tangled and broken on the ropes and canvas and Bellew, his own face swollen from the savagery, turned to celebrate the end of an unforgettable fight. He then went to Haye and helped to carry him back to his desolate corner; it was the embrace we feared would never happen.

David Haye and Tony Bellew's best trash-talk Show all 11 1 /11 David Haye and Tony Bellew's best trash-talk David Haye and Tony Bellew's best trash-talk “I'll put you and that pathetic haircut to sleep. Spongebob Squarepants, I'll deal with you in a boxing ring... I smashed your buddy, your playmate, your playboy and I will smash you the exact same way.” Tony Bellew set the wheels in motion for this fight minutes after his successful cruiserweight title defence against BJ Flores, picking David Haye out at ringside and insulting his haircut. Getty David Haye and Tony Bellew's best trash-talk “I'll probably knock him out with a jab. I could win the fight with one hand, just my left hand, I wouldn't even need my right hand.” Haye was not impressed, and dismissed Bellew's challenge by saying he could beat him one-handed. Getty David Haye and Tony Bellew's best trash-talk “You're not going to be able to chew your food... I’ll be standing over your limp body in the ring. I’ll come to hospital and let you play with my hair.” The fight was arranged and the trash-talking started in earnest, with Haye setting the tone for a bad-tempered build-up. Getty David Haye and Tony Bellew's best trash-talk “If this fight comes down to courage and heart at any time, if the steam goes out of him after four rounds, he’s in a world of s***.” The two infamously came to premature blows at the first press conference, with Bellew pushing Haye away before being clipped by a sly punch. Getty David Haye and Tony Bellew's best trash-talk “I could go clubbing every night between now and the fight and get smashed and still knock you out.” Bellew has questioned Haye's commitment throughout the build-up, but Haye was more than happy to stress how easy he would find it against the Liverpudlian. Getty David Haye and Tony Bellew's best trash-talk “I'm going to stick steel toe cap boots on him in the contract and make it compulsory he walks around in them...” In an interview with The Independent, Bellew pre-empted Haye's attempts to suggest he may enter the ring with an injury. Getty David Haye and Tony Bellew's best trash-talk “I could feel he wanted to go for me and, if he does, I can't guarantee I am not going to smash him up before the first bell on March 4.” Ahead of their promotional press conference tour, Haye warned that there could be further fireworks between the pair. Getty David Haye and Tony Bellew's best trash-talk “I’ve never had a fight where I really wanted to cave someone’s skull in like this, ever.” Haye's most controversial comment came on Soccer AM a week before the bout, and it could land him in trouble with the BBBofC. Sky David Haye and Tony Bellew's best trash-talk “Bet all the money you have. Each and every one of you should bet on Bellew to win the fight... f****** r******“ Haye followed that up by calling the crowd at a press conference in Liverpool, Bellew's hometown, 'f****** r******' Getty David Haye and Tony Bellew's best trash-talk “I’m expecting the best David Haye, but it’s not going to be there for very long. When it runs out, the big fat scouser will come through you like a steam train.” Bellew hit back against jibes about his weight by promising to make Haye pay. Getty David Haye and Tony Bellew's best trash-talk “Enjoy your last couple of days. This is going to feel so good.” At their last press conference, Haye was a controversial as ever, despite the warnings from the BBBofC.

There is a long list of fighters wanting to share a ring with Bellew, seemingly growing by the minute, but fights like this take a dreadful and often hidden toll; when Bellew emerges from the sanctuary of his beloved family in a few months’ time he can make any decision he wants and his wild flock will lovingly respect it. There could be a rematch, a fight with WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder or a return to cruiserweight, where he is the WBC champion. Haye's future will depend on his diagnosis, but he left wanting a rematch and that is something he deserves.