Two-division world champion Paulie Malignaggi has revealed his prediction for how an all-British heavyweight clash between Anthony Joshua and David Haye would have played out.
At the time, Haye was just the second fighter to become world champion at both cruiserweight and heavyweight, joining Evander Holyfield in the exclusive club with a win over seven-foot-tall Nikolai Valuev in 2009 to claim the WBA heavyweight crown.
Meanwhile, ‘AJ’ won the Olympic gold medal three years later at London 2012 and made his professional debut the following year, taking just two-and-a-half years to become world champion with a win over IBF title-holder Charles Martin.
Since then, Joshua has gone on the unify the strap with the WBA and WBO belts, but lost his throne to Andy Ruiz Jr and then Oleksandr Usyk, after avenging defeat to Ruiz in their rematch but being unable to do the same to the Ukrainian.
In an interview with Lord Ping, Malignaggi opted for the more natural heavyweight to take control of the contest and come out victorious.
“Haye is a super athlete. But he was a bit of an enigma, he had all the talent, had the look and everything, you believed he’d win, but then he’d show up and lay an egg like he did against Klitschko.
“Haye was an enigma, so on one hand, you’d think he could beat Joshua, but then you think it’s Haye, he’d probably figure out a way not to be good in a fight like that. I’m not knocking Haye, he was a great cruiserweight, but I’d pick AJ. AJ would be too vicious.”
Joshua will continue his bid to become a three-time world champion as he takes on Francis Ngannou on Friday March 8th, where a win will supposedly guarantee him a shot at heavyweight gold.