Former unified cruiserweight champion David Haye has made his prediction for the fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world between Anthony Joshua 24-1 (22) and Tyson Fury 30-0-1 (21) – and he sees it ending early.
This week the 32-year-old Fury confirmed he was happy with the terms and conditions for the fight after protracted negotiations.
“Got some massive news for you all,” Fury said in a video posted to social media.
“I’ve just got off the phone from Prince Khalid of Saudi Arabia, he’s told me this fight is 100 percent on. August 14, 2021 summertime.
“All eyes of the world will be on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“And I cannot wait, repeat: cannot wait to smash Anthony Joshua on the biggest stage of all time.
“This is going to be the biggest sporting event ever to grace the planet earth. Do not miss it. All eyes on us.
“Peace out, God bless, see you all in Saudi! Yes, get in!”
It will be Fury’s first fight since he lifted the WBC heavyweight title from previously undefeated American Deontay Wilder 42-1-1 (41) by seventh-round knockout in Las Vegas in February last year.
Haye, who once held the spurious WBA ‘regular’ title, admits it was an impressive performance.
“What Fury did against Deontay Wilder in his last fight sounded like suicide on paper, but it was genius,” Haye said to the PA news agency.
“Tactically I believed he had got it totally wrong, but it was proven right. But if you look at some of his prior fights, I wouldn’t say his tactics were that good.
“Joshua got his tactics terribly wrong in his first fight against Andy Ruiz, trying to mix it against a guy with short arms whose only chance was to get inside. But his tactics are improving and I very much liked what he did against Kubrat Pulev in his last fight.”
Joshua knocked out IBF mandatory Kubrat Pulev 28-2 (14) in nine rounds in London last December after losing and then regaining his WBA, WBO and IBF championships against Andy Ruiz Jr 34-2 (22) the previous year.
Haye praised the 31-year-old’s pedigree.
“I think some people very much underestimate the boxing ability of Anthony Joshua,” he said. “They forget he’s an Olympic gold medallist – Tyson didn’t even go to an Olympics, because he lost to David Price (in 2006).
“AJ started later but I can see his progression. I laugh at how people can doubt someone as genetically gifted as AJ. They see what happened to Wilder and they think the same thing will happen to Joshua, but they are two completely different fighters and human beings.
“Joshua waded in in his first fight against Andy Ruiz Jr and learned a hard lesson. You’ve got to soften your man up and pick your punches – just because you have the ability to knock someone out doesn’t give you the divine right to do so.
“Tyson isn’t so much of a one-punch specialist. He puts his punches together and his style is that if you throw big looping shots at him he’ll make you look silly. But AJ throws hard, compact punches and he puts them together well. I don’t see this fight going smoothly for Fury at all.
“I like the dedication of Joshua and I think he has a good chance of winning it early. People think I’m crazy but that’s just the way I see it. I loved his fight against Wladimir Klitschko – he took his licks and got back up and showed the heart of a champion.
“I think it’s a great fight and I really see it being won by stoppage. I’m just so glad we’re so close to seeing it happen.”
