https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWx0QU67Ag0
Performing pundit duties for Sky Sports last night for the Anthony Joshua-Charles Martin title fight, David Haye insisted he has what it takes to defeat new IBF ruler Joshua. Haye spoke about how he first has to take care of business against Arnold Gjergjaj on May 21st – “I’ll knock him out,” Haye said – and how he will then fight Shannon Briggs; who Haye is also confident of knocking out later this year.
It looks as though Shannon Briggs has finally talked, harassed and pestered his way into a big fight and the big pay day that will go along with it. After spending months irritating then-heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko in an unsuccessful attempt at getting a title shot – with Briggs entertaining some and irritating others with his war cry of “Let’s go Champ!” – Briggs shifted his attention to the UK scene.
It’s been 18 years since London-born Lennox Lewis tore the lineal title, in March 1998, from Shannon “The Cannon” Briggs, to add to the WBC belt he already owned. Back then, former world title holder Frank Bruno had not fought for two years, but Norfolk’s Herbie Hide still held the WBO strap, he’d won from Tony Tucker the previous year. The mid-late 90s is possibly the most successful spell in British heavyweight history, but now, in 2016, the United Kingdom’s current crop of heavyweights are looking to change that.
As fight fans may have heard, former WBA heavyweight champ David Haye today officially announced how he will face unbeaten, but largely unknown, Arnold Gjergjaj on May 21st in what will be Haye’s second comeback fight of 2016. But while the fight announcement may have surprised some – Gjergjaj is a 29-0 fighter with a string of KO’s and he could prove to be a real threat to 35-year-old Haye despite his low profile in the UK and the lack of big names on his record – a very familiar face crashed today’s press conference and arguably stole the show.
Former two-weight world champion David Haye today announced that he will face undefeated Arnold ‘The Cobra’ Gjergjaj on Saturday May 21 at The O2 in London as he continues his journey back to the summit the heavyweight division.
Former WBA heavyweight champ David Haye, who returned to the ring following a near four year absence in January, will host a press conference at London’s O2 next Wednesday to officially announce his second comeback opponent, so reports South London Press. Haye, also a former undisputed cruiserweight champion, destroyed Australia’s Mark de Mori inside a round in January, before a sold-out O2 arena, and with a TV audience of over three million tuning in to free-to-air channel DAVE.
As fight fans have probably read, come-backing former WBA heavyweight champion David Haye has announced how he is “in talks” with new WBA belt holder Lucas Browne and is hopeful he might fight him in his second return fight, set for May 21st at The O2 in London. However, Browne, who is obliged to fight Fres Oquendo as per the WBA’s tournament designed to finally crown just one man as their heavyweight king (there are currently three men staking such a claim: Browne, Tyson Fury and Luis Ortiz) took to Twitter to shoot down Haye’s talk.
In his own colorful, no-nonsense way, the unbeaten warrior known as “Big Daddy,” wrote the following in response to Haye’s claims:
It’s no secret that comebacking former WBA heavyweight champ David Haye wants a big, all-British showdown with unbeaten fellow Londoner Anthony Joshua. Haye, who returned to the ring in January and next fights, against TBA, in May, has been interested in a potential blockbuster with “A.J” for months now. And Haye is quite right when he says the fight would only be that much bigger if a world title were on the line.
At The O2 Arena in London next month, an exhibition will open – until August – that will celebrate the legendary career of the one and only Muhammad Ali, “The Greatest.” And Ali himself, who has recently celebrated his 74th birthday, is expected to fly to the UK – perhaps for the very last time – to visit the tribute that is sure to be a massive hit with fight fans.
But London’s own David Haye wants the UK to go one step further, and recognize Ali with an honorary Knighthood. Haye has launched a petition, inviting people to sign it and, as he says, give the great man what he deserves.
Former WBA heavyweight champ David Haye has not yet officially announced an opponent for his second comeback fight, set once again for The O2 in London, but if “The Hayemaker” has his way, his fight will again appear on free-to-air TV. Haye surprised many by having his January return fight, against Mark de Mori, shown on Dave, a channel usually used to showcase comedy and chat show type fodder. But, despite the surprise, Haye’s one-round blow out attracted over 3 million views.