The South London Press was backing Bermondsey boxer David Haye to win his world cruiserweight title fight, with an unprecedented six pages of coverage of the fight.

Reporters spoke to Haye, his trainer Adam Booth and his father and his sister about why they thought the 27-year-old would win to create British boxing history in his own back yard.

And all of the coverage was orchestrated by their boxing correspondent while he was on paternity leave.

It was the first time that Haye had fought in London – the venue, Greenwich’s O2 Arena, only a matter of yards from where he was brought up in core SLP territory.

The bout, to unify the WBC and WBA cruiserweight belts, which Haye holds, with the WBO belt, held by his challenger Enzo Maccarinelli, has been covered by boxing correspondent Richard Cawley.

Sports editor Toby Porter said: “Richard’s achievement has been all the more impressive given the fact he’s been at home on paternity leave for three weeks – his wife Nicky gave birth to son Oliver on February 9.

“He has had exclusive access to Haye and his team and given our readers some cracking coverage. It’s like he’s hardly been away at all.”

Haye floored his opponent with a huge right in the second round to end the contest.