“Tyson Fury wasn’t the fighter he is today. He was very young, he was very inexperienced,” David Haye is confident he would have defeated his British rival if their planned fight had gone ahead in 2013
By Richard Damerell
David Haye says his proposed fight against Tyson Fury was the ‘perfect storm’ and believes his speed and power would have overwhelmed his British rival in 2013.
The former WBA heavyweight champion was just days away from a big domestic showdown with Fury, only to be forced to withdraw after suffering a cut in his final sparring session.
Haye had been putting the finishing touches to his tactics, which he believed would have resulted in an explosive victory over a 24-year-old Fury at Manchester Arena.
“Using my speed, using my punch power,” Haye told Sky Sports, when asked how he planned to defeat Fury.
“Back then in 2013, I believe it was, Tyson Fury wasn’t the fighter he is today.
“He was very young, he was very inexperienced. He wasn’t as teak tough as he is now.
“He hadn’t been through the trials and tribulations that’s made him the man and fighter he is today.”
Deontay Wilder had been drafted in to help Haye’s preparations and fellow sparring partner Richard Towers revealed the brutal sessions that took place behind gym doors.
“If you watch the sparring videos, you can see me standing outside, waiting to get in when David and Deontay are sparring,” Towers told Sky Sports.
“David Haye did catch him. He caught him with an overhand right and Deontay recovered quickly and well. His legs wobbled, of course they did, David had a horrible right hand on him.”
Fury had been floored heavily in his last fight by Steve Cunningham, a former world champion from the division below, but climbed off the canvas to force a dramatic stoppage on his US debut.
Haye insisted that Fury would not have made such a recovery from his concussive punches if they had shared the ring.
“It would have been the perfect bit of matchmaking on my fight, if I was able to get him,” said Haye. “A baby, in boxing terms.
“He had been heavily knocked down by a non-punching cruiserweight in Steve Cunningham, so it was a perfect storm for me, but the fight didn’t happen.
“I got a cut before the fight and it never took place.”
Fury also felt the Haye fight had arrived at the ideal stage of his career, although he admitted that victory could be sealed by a single punch.
“It’s come for me at the best time ever,” Fury had told Sky Sports.
“I’ve had some good fights building up to this. Good learning fights, and I’m really, really ready to step up and fight someone like David Haye.
“There’s going to be dangers in every single fight. Cunningham is a cruiserweight and David Haye shouldn’t be calling anybody cruiserweights when he was a cruiserweight himself.
“I can guarantee one thing in this fight. There’s going to be excitement and whoever lands first, it’s done.
“If David hits me, I’m hit. If I hit him, he’s hit.”
The Fury fight was rescheduled for February 2014, but Haye would never get the opportunity to fulfil his prediction as shoulder surgery forced him out of the sport until 2016.
