It’s no secret that comebacking former WBA heavyweight champ David Haye wants a big, all-British showdown with unbeaten fellow Londoner Anthony Joshua. Haye, who returned to the ring in January and next fights, against TBA, in May, has been interested in a potential blockbuster with “A.J” for months now. And Haye is quite right when he says the fight would only be that much bigger if a world title were on the line.
If Joshua, 15-0, all by KO, can take unbeaten Charles Martin’s IBF crown on April 9th, Haye will be waiting to challenge him. And Haye, in speaking with BBC, said public demand will ensure the fight happens sooner rather than later.
What’s more, Haye, with his lethal blend of speed and raw power, feels he is more than up to the job of taking out Joshua inside a single round.
“Anthony Joshua has got a massive fight next time out, for the IBF championship of the world,” Haye said. “He’s fast-tracked himself, seriously. He’s one of the best in the world and we’ll fight out on April 9 just how good he is. I believe he’s the real deal. I’ve been supporting him from the start. I’d love to get in the ring and see just how good he really is. But he’s got bigger fish to fry at the moment. And if he can win the IBF heavyweight championship of the world, how big would a fight between us be? If he wins this next fight, I’m pretty positive that public demand will say we gotta get the two best in there.”
And as to what the result would be if Haye did get in there to test Joshua? “The Hayemaker” has total belief in his withering punching power:
“It might be a one-round job,” Haye said. “I’m not saying that in a disrespectful manner. You know, as soon as I hit people on the chin, they stay hit. I hit them, they hit the floor – that’s how it happens. It depends on how long he can stay up for. I’m very fast, very agile and I punch ridiculously hard, so when you put those combinations together……..”
There is no doubt a Haye-Joshua collision would be an exciting, don’t-blink affair, and the money the fight would generate does seem to make the fight as close to a certainty as is possible in boxing. But can Joshua dethrone Martin? A Martin-Haye fight, while also an intriguing match-up, doesn’t quite have the same buzz to it. For those fans who love to see Wembley-type blockbuster events, ala Froch-Groves, the April 9th result will be a Joshua win.
Haye needs to shed some more rust, and he will hopefully do so in his second comeback fight, but then he will be the logical challenger in Joshua’s very first title defence. This one would easily shift over 50,000 tickets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkFOYTTqBNs