Former two division world champion David Haye does not view Deontay Wilder as the kind of fighter who would accept an enormous sum of money to step away from a trilogy fight with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. (photo by Ryan Hafey)
Back in February, Wilder suffered his first career defeat when he was dropped twice and stopped in the seventh round by Fury, who walked away with the WBC world title.
Wilder exercised an immediate rematch clause, to force a third meeting between the two.
The third bout was targeted for a date of July 18, but it was pushed back due to the coronavirus pandemic - with a likely date in early October.
Eddie Hearn, promoter for unified champion Anthony Joshua, is hoping there is a possibility where Wilder accepts a step-aside deal - for Fury and Joshua to collide in a full division unification by the end of 2020.
When Haye was a top contender in the heavyweight division, he used Wilder as a sparring partner.
Based on what he knows about Wilder, Haye would not expect him to entertain a step-aside deal.
"I don't think Wilder is the type of guy to step aside," Haye told Sky Sports News.
"He believes he under-performed, he believes he's got more to give and I like that. I like the fact that he wants to do it again. It shows me what I believed. I believe he's got a big heart. I believe he's a proud, proud man. He always wants to give the best himself. He doesn't feel he did it in his last fight, understandably.
"He probably watched it back and thought 'what the hell was I doing?' But he's got the opportunity to right the wrong. I love fighters that are willing to jump straight back in there and eradicate any doubts about them.
"The same way Anthony Joshua could have had an easier fight, could have had a couple of easy fights before the Andy Ruiz Jr rematch. No, he wanted that fight. He really, desperately wanted it, because he knew in his heart, he under-performed, and he proved it.
"I get where both fighter's heads were at, at the time after their losses. I'm sure if Tyson Fury would have lost that fight against Deontay Wilder, he'd be wanting to come back and right the wrong."
