Former two division world champion David Haye is very familiar with the punching power of Deontay Wilder (40-0, 39 KOs), who knocked out every opponent that he ever faced in the ring.
On two occasions, Haye employed Wilder as a sparring partner to prepare for scheduled fights.
On December 1 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Wilder will defend the WBC heavyweight title against Tyson Fury on Showtime/BT Sport Pay-Per-View.
Haye was scheduled to face Fury on two occasions and withdrew both times due to injuries.
In order to defeat Wilder, Haye explains that Fury will have to become a brand new fighter in the ring and can't offer the same tactics that we've seen in the past - and certainly not the same tactics that were used in his two prior bouts in 2018.
“Tyson will have to completely reinvent himself. He will have to offer something new,” said Haye to The Evening Standard.
“But even though this is a big risk, the rewards outweigh that — and you just can’t write off Fury. He is 6ft 9ins, 19 stone and has an unbeaten record. You simply can’t dismiss that and while he is in the ring, he has a chance. Wilder came over to work with me before I fought Wladimir Klitschko in 2011 and then before a proposed fight against Fury, which never happened. He has one a hell of a punch. That is why he has knocked out 39 of his 40 opponents.
“In every round I had to be on my toes. I had to be so switched on because he is very heavy-handed even by heavyweight standards. That is why his knockout ratio is surely the best of any heavyweight champion in history. He is hard to read because he doesn’t do very much conventionally. On TV it looks a bit wild. But I can assure you that it is very awkward and difficult.
“His arms are so long. He is like an NFL player who has switched to boxing. He also has a good chin and is not afraid to take shots to land his own. Fury is also very unorthodox. He doesn’t fight like a traditional heavyweight. He has quick feet, good reflexes and is nimble for such a big man. I’ve never seen him set about anybody in a fight. He dances around the ring for couple of rounds. Messes about, flicks his jab out and waits for his opponent to get tired. Then he puts some punches together and they fall over.
“That won’t happen against Wilder who will be hunting him down from the centre of the ring. Deontay won’t run out of steam, either. If Fury tucks up against the ropes like he has done in prior fights, it will be effectively over. Wilder just punches straight through you. Tucking up doesn’t work because he punches so quickly — and that is how Fury defends. So Tyson is going to need to slip Wilder’s punches and counter him and that is not his style. But maybe the time he had out of the ring before his comeback this year will help him make the changes he needs.”
“After only two comeback fights against moderate opposition this is a big move for Fury. To be great you need to take risks. Let’s hope Tyson can get that magic back because this could be a great fight. But his last two opponents couldn’t have been any further from what he will now face. However, if Tyson somehow manages to win this fight — and he can — people will say it was an act of genius.”