David Haye On Lennox Lewis ‘You Can’t Question The Credentials It’s The Perfect Boxing Career’

Former heavyweight and cruiserweight world champion David Haye (28-4, 26 KO) returns to the ring this Sat, September 11, when he takes on Joe Fournier (9-0-0, 9KOs) on the undercard of Triller Fight Club’s Evander Holyfield-Vitor Belfort bout.

Ahead of his comeback bout, Haye sat down for an interview with Switchbox TV and spoke on a range of various topics, including his thoughts on former undisputed heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.

“Out of all the heavyweights over the years that I have met, he seems the one who is the most happiest in retirement,” Haye said.

“He went out on his own terms. He realized that ‘I’ve done it all.’ All that is going to happen is the same that happens to every single heavyweight champion. They keep going until there is a younger, fresher guy, who might not be more technically skilled than you, might not have better fundamentals, but he’s just younger and fresher, and your older and more injured, and after a while, it’s just inevitable.”

Lewis retired at the top of his field with his last bout taking place in June 2003 when he defeated Vitali Klitschko via sixth-round TKO to retain his WBC, IBO, and The Ring heavyweight titles.

“So he was one of the fighters who realized, ok, you ain’t getting any better, and everyone else is catching up, let me go out. He beat every single man, Lennox Lewis, he’s ever faced. The only two blemishes Oliver McCall, Hasim Rahman, he avenged them both. Even when he went to the Olympics, got a loss to Tyrell Briggs in 84, goes back 88 gets the gold,” Haye explained.

“You can’t question the credentials. It’s the perfect boxing career, in my opinion, of any heavyweight. He fought every man, other than Riddick Bowe, but Riddick Bowe didn’t want to fight him, he fought everybody else in his era, and it’s just the perfect career.”

In regards to his upcoming fight with Fournier, Haye is confident that his experience and skillset will be too much for his fellow British fighter when they lock horns this weekend. The pair have a relationship as friends, but that will be put to one side once the opening bell sounds.

“The only way he can beat me is if he rubs Tabasco Sauce all over his gloves as there is simply no other way,” Haye said.

“Joe’s a professionally trained boxer. He’s been doing it significantly longer than say, the likes of Jake Paul. He’s sparred with real boxers and has been trained by me, so he’s obviously got a bit about him.”