Former Unified cruiserweight champion and former WBA world heavyweight champion David Haye has suggested that Anthony Joshua avoid Tyson Fury following his performance against Jermaine Franklin on Saturday at London’s O2 arena. Joshua would flatter to deceive in twelve rounds with Franklin, where many had expected and hoped for a stoppage victory for the two-time unified world heavyweight champion.
Haye, who was ringside for the contest in London, recommended that Joshua avoid a fight with WBC world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, which Joshua is interested in making happen, Joshua commented post-fight.
“I try and provide for the fans. I know who the fans want - who do the fans want? They said Fury, yeah? The ball is in his court,”
“I would be 100 per cent honoured to compete for the WBC Championship of the world.
“I stand here and say that proudly, that would be an honour.
“Wherever you are, if you are listening, you know my management, you know my promoter, we’ve had dialogue before, so let’s continue this, and hopefully, we can get this done sooner rather than later. We aren’t getting any younger.”
Haye suggested when speaking to IFL TV that Joshua instead should target a fight with promotional stablemate Dillian Whyte, a fight which has been talked about recently by promoter Eddie Hearn.
Haye commented that Joshua’s performance against Franklin was not good enough and needed a better showing against the Amrecian to put himself in the frame for a Tyson Fury fight.
“I want to see him in with Dillian next, and that’s not the performance to go in there with Tyson Fury.
“If he went out there and blitzed him in a couple of rounds, OK, but he needs a better performance than that to jump in with Tyson, in my opinion.
“I’d like to see him in there with Dillian, where you know what it’s going to be like, and it’s going to be fireworks.
“That’s a high-profile fight, lots of pressure on someone coming in that can punch, and that will get everyone’s juices flowing.
“And then the winner of that can look at Fury. But Fury’s looking at fighting Usyk anyway, or is he?”
