Derek Chisora is sent crashing to the canvas by David Haye (right) in the fifth round of their grudge fight at Upton Park on Saturday night

The smiles replaced the snarls of heavyweight rivals David Haye and Derek Chisora at the home of the Hammers on Saturday night, after the Hayemaker supplied his own hammer blows to end their feud in the fifth round.

The smiles replaced the snarls of heavyweight rivals David Haye and Derek Chisora at the home of the Hammers on Saturday night, after the Hayemaker supplied his own hammer blows to end their feud in the fifth round.

Do not be surprised if the success of the show leads to more big Upton Park fights in future – certainly the estimated 30,000 crowd went home rain soaked, but satisfied by the explosive action they had witnessed.

Promoter Frank Warren could also afford to smile, despite the earlier opposition of the British Boxing Board and the critics who blasted the battle between the rivals after their undignified brawl in Munich.

“The boxers settled their differences in the ring in a super show which was a great advert for boxing,” said Warren.

He was obviously pleased with the attendance and the bookings of new customers for his BoxNation TV channel, after his gamble of staging the fight under the banner of the Luxembourg Boxing Federation.

Haye insisted: “The atmosphere at West Ham was the best I have ever experienced, it was an amazing night, and I was proud to be a part of it.

“The fans went home well pleased and any damage that was done in Munich was put right tonight,” Haye added.

Even the loser wore a rueful smile as he admitted: “That was a great fight, I shook him with some good blows but he finished it with a great shot.”

Certainly Chisora played his part in an exciting shoot-out, – taking Haye’s heavy hooks and always trying to bully his way into the fight – but he could never make that two stone-plus weight advantage prove decisive.

Haye’s faster punches always gave him the edge and he impressively seized his victory chance in style with lethal left hooks highlighting his rapid-fire combination punches that flattened the loser.

Will the win set up Haye with another chance at one of the Klitschko brothers?

Could that challenge go ahead as a world heavyweight title battle at the Boleyn Ground?

Stranger things have happened in the fight game.

For the time being we’ll have to look back on the night of excitement which could have gone so wrong, but went right – and the brutal business of boxing finished with smiles all round.

Even the enemies ended in an embrace!