Hearn Urges Haye To Face Whyte To Speed Up Road To Joshua

By Terence Dooley

Eddie Hearn has poured cold water over the prospect of an all-London showdown between IBF heavyweight titlist Anthony Joshua and former cruiserweight Champion and WBA heavyweight title-holder David Haye.

Haye has two comeback wins under his belt—KO 1 and KO 2 over Mark de Mori and Arnold Gjergjaj respectively—with Shannon Briggs lined up for September as he bids to get back into the world title mix.

Hearn, though, has told the “Hayemaker” that he needs to up his level of opposition if he is to get back into contention and has instead offered him a showdown with Dillian Whyte, who has signed a promotional deal with Hearn.

“He's probably further away,” he stated when speaking to the Metro about Joshua-Haye.  “You're allowed a freebie but not two freebies.  He's making the wrong fights to manoeuvre to the [title] shot.

“I'm not sure the Briggs fight's done—if it's not, we'd fight in September, or December.  Haye wants the AJ fight but our focus is Fury and then Dillian Whyte before Haye.  After Saturday, I feel like we'd be doing Haye a favour almost.  People aren't tweeting me all day saying: ‘Make Haye-Joshua. They're saying: "Make Joshua-Fury" and I have to listen to public demand.'”

Briggs fulfilled his part of the equation with a single stanza stoppage over Emilio Zarate on Haye’s O2 bill before declaring that he will also take care of Haye in the first should their September showdown come to fruition.

Either way, Haye looks a few fights away from a money-spinner with Joshua, but a lot depends on whether Fury overcomes Wladimir Klitschko at the Manchester Arena in July and what the heavyweight Champion decides to do next if he does get a repeat win over the former holder.  If Fury opts for WBC holder Deontay Wilder it could open things up for Haye provided he remains in the mix.

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