By Ian McCullough

De Mori had hoped to take the fight into the later rounds and take advantage of Haye's three-and-a-half-year absence from the ring.

However, the former world heavyweight champion was simply too quick, too strong and too powerful for the Croatia-based fighter who slumped to the canvas following a huge right hand and took nearly five minutes to be brought to his feet in front of a sell-out crowd.

"I had no nerves whatsoever," said Haye.

"This is where I belong. I need to live here. That shot was enough, he was gone but there were a few others to send him on his way.

"I can't see any heavyweight taking those shots. I'm not easy to hit, so how would someone go about beating that?"

Haye has vowed to regain the heavyweight title he lost to Wladimir Klitschko in 2011 but said he doubts recently-crowned world champion Tyson Fury, who relinquished the IBF belt, would take him on.

"I think he's a good fighter, very good. It's a shame he doesn't want to fight me. I think we all know why, when he sees punch power like that," Haye said.

"I want to get back in the ring as soon as possible, keep testing myself and work up the rankings to get a title fight.

"I want to unify the heavyweight division. I set my plan out to do that and fell short. I am going to make a serious run at this division. The titles are all over the place. It will take someone like me to clean it up."