David Haye: I'd rather fight Anthony Joshua than Tyson Fury
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Updated 17/01/2016 at 12:36 GMT
David Haye is targeting an all-British heavyweight battle with Anthony Joshua after winning his first fight in over three years at London's O2.
David Haye celebrates his win with trainer Shane McGuigan and team.
Image credit: Reuters
Haye believes the British public would be interested in watching a meeting with WBC international and British champion Joshua later this year after he dismantled Australia's Mark De Mori with a savage first-round knockout on Saturday night.
WBA and WBO world heavyweight champion Fury has already stated he is not interested in fighting Haye after claiming he had been messed about by his fellow Englishman for pulling out of two fights against him in 2013.
Haye had not fought since overcoming Dereck Chisora in 2012 before undergoing major shoulder surgery after the Fury fights fell through.
Fury is set to meet Wladimir Klitschko in a world title rematch after his surprise points win in Dusseldorf in November, but Haye is not expecting a call from the 'Gypsy King' any time soon.
"Tyson Fury is pretty clear about not wanting to fight me," said Haye. "I said I'll work my way up the rankings, and he said he'd relinquish the belts instead of fight me so why bother?
"Why not go for bigger, better fights?
A bigger fight's Anthony Joshua. I believe that fight can be made later on in the year. I'm in shape, I'm punching hard. I'm a little bit older. It'll make for a great fight. That's the type of fight I want, that's why I'm back in boxing. It's the big fights, I need that.
"Fury's a good fighter. You don't go to Germany and do what he did. It's a shame he doesn't want to fight me, but I think we all know why when you see power like that.
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David Haye fights Mark de Mori
Image credit: Reuters
"I want to unify the heavyweight division," said the former world champion, who lost his WBA world belt to Klitschko four years ago. "I set my plan out to do that many years ago and I fell short.
"I'm going to make a serious run at this heavyweight division. There are titles all over the place at the moment and it'll take someone like me to clean it up.
"This was always going to be my hardest fight: the first back after three years out, the unknown."
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