We are seeing a wave of old boxing talent get back into the ring and showcase their skills once more. Of course, one of the main reasons they do this is money, however one fighter to do it recently has gone a step further, to call out one of the biggest fighters in the world.
David Haye returned to the ring for an exhibition event against Joe Fournier, a fight that took place on a card in Florida. It wasn’t the only bout to feature former boxers, with the headline act being former champion Evander Holyfield, who was beaten by Vitor Belfort.
Most of these battles feature two ex-fighters going against each other, but now Haye wants to take his fighting to the next level. Not only by going up against one of the best heavyweights in the world right now, but also calling out someone who is known to not back down from a challenge.
Haye, who is now a 40-year-old, has not fought professionally for over three years, when he was beaten by Tony Bellew in London. It would likely take a lot more to get ready for Fury than just an exhibition win, and should this come out, it would surely mean a full comeback for Haye, and not just one fight.
If announced, it would be an intriguing clash for bookmakers to price up, as they would surely have Fury as the strong favourite, given his quality and age edge over Haye. However, at the same time, the Haymaker would have nothing to lose going into this fight, something that would need taking into consideration. There will be those who study the betting odds when they become available, with this how to beat the bookies using maths article an example of some of the things that people do to try and get on top and ahead.
One thing that Haye did prove to watchers in his win against Fournier was his stamina. Considering he has not fought for over three years, Haye did well to go the full eight rounds of the bout, and while he tired towards the end, he certainly wasn’t completely out of steam.
This would be tougher to do against Fury, a clever boxer who knows how to wear down his opponent and lead them into areas of the fight they don’t want to go. Then there is the fact that the fight would have four more rounds, and how much that would impact Haye. He would have the advantage of being able to train more, and know what was coming, but would that be enough to potentially last another four rounds, with a tougher opponent, if the fight went the distance.
It remains to be seen if the fight comes off, it would certainly be intriguing but one thing that could stop it from happening is that Tyson Fury has a queue of big fights lined up, all undoubtedly worth more money than what this one would be.