Tyson Fury is ‘done’ if he cannot get past Arslanbek Makhmudov this weekend, but for David Haye, the heavyweight division is still a far better place with the Gypsy King back in it.
Haye does not dress it up. The stakes, in his view, could not be clearer as Fury returns from yet another retirement, attempting to reassert himself after defeats to Oleksandr Usyk and a damaging performance against Francis Ngannou. Yet even with those doubts lingering, he remains drawn to what Fury brings.
‘I’m overjoyed to have him back. And I think boxing needs as many big personalities and big characters to keep the keep the sport alive,’ he told Daily Mail Sport. ‘Tyson is one of, if not the biggest one, in the heavyweight division. So it’s great to have him back. I want to see the old version of Tyson Fury. I don’t know if we will get that.
‘He lost to Usyk a couple of times. It happens, but he had a terrible fight with Ngannou. Has he gone away since that point and looked at himself and fixed whatever was broken for those fights – because what he said before fight night and what happened on fight night were two completely different things. Is he now going to perform the way that he’s telling us. You know, that he’s the best heavyweight in the division or will we see a flat Tyson Fury?
‘He’s got a tailor-made opponent in Makhmudov. This guy is not running around. He’s coming forward. Basic punches and a good chin. So, it gives Tyson Fury that perfect opportunity to show he is or whether he struggles. It’s a life or death fight for Tyson Fury. I hope it’s not death. I hope he’s able to establish himself and go out there and wipe the floor with Makhmudov because on paper he should. There is no reason why this needs to be a hard fight. He picked him for a reason.’
And if Fury fails? Haye is unequivocal.
Tyson Fury is ‘done’ if he cannot get past Arslanbek Makhmudov on Saturday says David Haye
Haye says he would like to see The Gypsy King face Anthony Joshua after Makhmudov
‘If he doesn’t win, there is no way back, enough said, done. I think that’s it. Look at Tyson’s last three losses and yeah I believe he lost the fight to Francis Ngannou. He was fighting an MMA guy in Ngannou and I don’t think he took that fight seriously. So, we’ll give him a slide.
‘Then there is losing twice to Usyk and nearly getting stopped. He is one of the all-time greats so you can’t really judge him against the potentially greatest ever. But, if you struggle with Makhmudov, it’s like okay that’s your level and that is domestic level. Tyson wouldn’t want to continue fighting at that level, he wants to be with the guys at the top.’
For all the jeopardy, however, the bigger picture remains irresistible. Because if Fury comes through, there is only one fight that truly matters – a long-awaited collision with Anthony Joshua that has defined a generation without ever happening.
Haye, like most of the sport, has grown tired of waiting.
‘I would love to see Fury vs AJ as soon as possible. I love that fight and I think it should happen as soon as Wilder’s healed up because that was a tough fight with Derek Chisora. He took some took some shots, so give it three, four, five months or whatever, then he can be back in there.
‘Look, AJ, is back. I just finally want all the fighters to fight each other, so we’re getting to the point where they’re all at the end and in a twilight of their careers. They’ve got no reason now to duck and dive, just make it happen.’
And despite suggestions in some quarters that Wilder could serve as little more than a stepping stone for Joshua, Haye bristles at the idea.
‘Deontay Wilder is not a tune up fight for anybody you know. You have got to be on point when someone punches as hard as he does. He’s got history for developing the longest knockout streak of any heavyweight champ. Say to his face that he’s a tune up for AJ and see how that goes. I just think Wilder’s got to figure his style out now. The style he once had, for whatever reason, isn’t flowing anymore.
Oleksandr Usyk handed Fury the first and only defeats of his professional career
Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk have struck up an unlikely friendship (pictured above)
‘I think maybe people aren’t afraid of the right hand as they once were. Joseph Parker had a tremendous game plan and implemented it well and then Zhang went in there and wiped him out. So, there will be some kinks Wilder’s team are having to iron out. But, he’s definitely a name. It’s good to have him back in the winning picture. It gives us the big fights we want.
‘We don’t care how old they are. We don’t care if you’re not as good as you once were. Who cares? Get in the ring and fight each other. Earn a load of money, give us some entertainment. That’s what it’s all about.’
Yet based on what he saw in the American’s recent bout with Derek Chisora, Haye believes Joshua would start as a clear favourite, even if the danger can never be discounted.
‘I can only go by his last fight, which was Derek on Saturday. I don’t think that version of Wilder is enough to beat Anthony Joshua, not even close. I think Anthony punches too long, too well. Wilder was getting hit with right hands too much and AJ’s right hand is significantly faster than Chisora’s right hand.
‘Chisora was enjoying a lot of success with the right hand so AJ will be able to land that right hand quite comfortably on that performance. Obviously Wilder is going to switch it on more when he is fighting AJ but I can only go off what I have seen and the strength of the victory over Derek Chisora and that victory, in my opinion, won’t be enough to beat any version of Anthony Joshua I have seen so far.’
Still, the Chisora fight revealed something important about Wilder. Not the devastating finisher of old, perhaps, but a fighter with resilience that many thought had faded.
‘We learned that he’s still got something left though. He’s got that heart, he’s got that grip and his chin as well. A lot of people said his chin was gone and that he’s finished, but he took some almighty overhand rights. We all know that Derek packs a punch too. He’s knocked many people out with lesser shots than the ones he landed right on the button on Saturday night. Wilder actually smiled when he felt a couple of them.
‘So in in regards to Wilder’s punch resistance, it seems to be back. But, his punch power on the other hand… he wasn’t able to land that big shot, that big equaliser he’s always had. Regardless, I definitely feel a fight with him and AJ is a fight I’d very much like to see now.’
Deontay Wilder beat Derek Chisora at the 02 in London Saturday night in his 50th fight
Which brings everything back to Fury. Because in a division edging towards its twilight, where legacies are being defined as much by what didn’t happen as what did, the next few days feel pivotal. If Fury delivers, the path to Joshua – and perhaps even redemption – reopens in spectacular fashion. If he does not, Haye’s verdict is stark and unforgiving.
There is, quite simply, no way back.
