David Haye feels the pain of one man as Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua look set to collide for his old belt, or at least a version of it, at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on December 11.
The ‘Hayemaker’ claimed his WBA heavyweight title in 2009, dethroning Nikolai Valuev with a majority decision victory to become a two-division world champion.
Back then, he was the sanctioning body’s only heavyweight belt-holder, whereas other times have seen the emergence of ‘regular’ and ‘super’ champions in one division.
And that, it seems, is likely to be the case when Fury and Joshua finally lock horns, as the winner should become a three-time world champion by claiming the WBA ‘super’ title.
This has not been confirmed by the organisation but, according to promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren, the vacant belt will, indeed, be on the line for their respective heavyweights.
As for the division’s ‘regular’ champion, a penny might be spared for the thoughts of Murat Gassiev, who dethroned Kubrat Pulev for the WBA secondary title last December.
Speaking with talkSPORT, Haye offered his sympathy to the Russian while ultimately acknowledging the imperfect business of boxing.
“It would be very frustrating [for Gassiev]. Obviously, you work very hard for these belts … and, when another one is created, it must feel like it devalues what you have.
“I feel the fighter’s pain, but that’s the business. That’s just how boxing has always been.”
With Oleksandr Usyk vacating his three titles in June, Gassiev effectively became a two-division world champion but, come Fury vs. Joshua in December, will be relegated back to the WBA’s ‘regular’ tier.
