IN one of the year’s more surprising pronouncements, Tyson Fury has welcomed David Haye’s hinted-at return to the ring. Haye has implied a comeback more than once in recent times but has not fought since 2012 and his latest comments – suggesting a 2016 resurgence – were issued only weeks before Fury’s November 28 shot at world heavyweight champion, Wladimir Klitschko, who outscored the Londoner the year before he began what may still be an extended hiatus. Add that Haye twice pulled out of lucrative (for both men) showdowns with Fury and the latter’s magnanimous response to the latest news is even more startling
“I don’t know what his motives are and I don’t really care,” Fury began, before bucking expectations. “This is a business at the end of the day and if a fight with Haye makes business sense I’d consider it. He’s still a big fight in England if he beats someone to get back up there; we could do maybe 2 million buys on pay-per-view. If he gets back in the mix it adds more spice to the cake. I have no hard feelings towards Haye, I’m getting my shot anyway, so I hope he gets back up there and the people get behind him.”
Quizzed further on whether “The Hayemaker”, a former two-weight world ruler, can regain anything like his former status at age 35, Fury was relatively encouraging, but with a caveat.
“There’s only Klitschko, myself and Deontay Wilder,” he said regarding the current population of the heavyweight division. “The rest are mediocre men, there are prospects coming up, but there’s not many top fighters out there now. Who is there to beat? I don’t rate Alexander Povetkin in that bracket, Haye’s speed and agility would be too much against him and we know he can be hurt and knocked down.”
