Haye: Joshua and Fury Should Finally Face Each Other

Former world champion David Haye says Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury must stop delaying and make the long-awaited fight happen. Haye, who held world titles at two weights and was Britain’s leading heavyweight before Joshua and Fury rose, argues this is the biggest domestic heavyweight bout available and a vital chapter for both men’s legacies.

Haye told Sky Sports the bout is essential for both fighters to prove they belonged to the same era and to settle who deserves the bragging rights. He said the clash would be significant for each of them for different reasons and that they should be driving negotiations forward.

Both Fury and Joshua lost their world belts to Oleksandr Usyk. Fury has just returned to the ring after roughly a year away, while Joshua is resuming training following the car crash that killed two of his close friends. There are ongoing discussions about a fight this year; Joshua is expected to take a tune-up fight first, and promoter Eddie Hearn has said a contract for a Fury fight has been received and is under review.

Haye accepts neither fighter is at his absolute peak, but he does not think that should prevent a meaningful showdown. He pointed to other major fights that happened after the fighters’ prime commercial moments — suggesting a clash now could still be huge financially and historically, perhaps even more lucrative than if it had happened earlier.

On Fury’s recent 12-round outing against Arslanbek Makhmudov, Haye said the fight should have sharpened Fury for a match with Joshua. He described Makhmudov as a measured stepping stone: a big, powerful opponent with similar size and a vertical-arm style of defence comparable to Joshua’s, rather than someone who relies on slick head movement. That kind of fight, Haye believes, helps prepare Fury for Joshua.

Ultimately Haye believes both men think they have enough left to win and that they owe it to fans — and to their own records — to test that claim against each other. He urged both camps to push the deal across the line so fans can finally see who comes out on top.