Former cruiserweight and heavyweight world champion David Haye has declared who he sees as the current ‘baddest man on the planet’, as the heavyweight division prepares to crown a true undisputed champion.
The accolade of ‘baddest man on the planet’ is a label coined by Mike Tyson, who famously rose to the heavyweight throne in style, with 27 wins and 25 knockouts when he became champion at just 20-years-old.
These days, many have felt that knockout artists in the division such as Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua had taken the reins, although David Haye has now offered his alternative opinion.
On social media, ‘The Hayemaker’ applauded the efforts of Francis Ngannou, who fought Tyson Fury on his boxing debut, scoring a third-round knockdown before losing a controversial split-decision in October.
Despite the loss and his current 0-1 record, Haye declared the Cameroonian as the ‘baddest man on the planet’, after impressing in his first official contest, against the current WBC title-holder.
“The Fury vs. Ngannou fight brought mixed emotions. Fury secured a close points win, moving closer to the “Undisputed Fight” with Usyk. But Ngannou’s incredible performance truly stood out.
“In my view, Ngannou had the edge, winning more rounds than he lost, including a legit knockdown, that 10-8 round was significant.
“Ngannou’s control in a boxing ring with only boxing rules impressed me the most, particularly as it was his first ever boxing match. Despite Fury’s victory, let’s pay our respect to Ngannou’s status as “The Baddest Man on The Planet”.”
Francis Ngannou will seek to go one better when he faces ‘AJ’ in two weeks’ time, as he aims to land a rematch with Fury and possibly challenge for a world title of his own.