David Haye to take on Mark de Mori in comeback fight

Haye, 35, announced his return to the ring at a press conference at the O2 Arena on Tuesday - the same arena which will host the fight against the 33-year-old Australian, who is the WBF world heavyweight champion.

De Mori's WBF title is one of the minor belts available in the division, though he is far from the soft comeback opponent many expected. De Mori has 29 wins, two draws and just one defeat in his career, with 25 of his victories coming via knockout.

He is currently number 10 in the WBA heavyweight rankings, three spots ahead of Britain's Anthony Joshua.

Haye last fought in July 2012, when he beat Dereck Chisora in a comfortable fifth round knock-out at Upton Park.

The temptation behind Haye's return to the ring is not hard to guess - a few fights down the line match-ups against the likes of Joshua, Tyson Fury and even Wladimir Klitschko would be certain to garner a huge amount of attention, so long as Haye can prove he remains the sort of fighter who claimed the WBA heavyweight world title with a victory over Nikolai Valuev back in 2009.

Adam Booth, Haye's new coach, said of his man last week: "David is a very smart, shrewd fellow and knows the decisions he makes. He has decided that now is the time to take the step."

"He and I have a complete understanding of the fact that our working relationship ended a little while ago. I have too much on my plate now with the fighters I've got. I'm loving every day in the gym.

"I wish David all the best. People criticise him all the time but people will watch him because he's entertaining, value for money, exciting and very talented. Whether I'm in the corner or watching it, I'll be equally excited."