Anthony Joshua would lose to David Haye, says Evander Holyfield
Thursday 5 May 2016 15:57, UK
Evander Holyfield believes David Haye would be too much for Anthony Joshua if the pair faced off in a British heavyweight superfight.
IBF heavyweight champion Joshua will make the first defence of his title against Dominic Breazeale at the O2 Arena on June 25, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
Haye, 35, returns to action on May 21 when he takes on Arnold Gjergjaj and is slated to face veteran American Shannon Briggs after that, meaning a potential bout with Joshua is not on the immediate horizon.
That may be just as well for Joshua, according to four-time world heavyweight champion Holyfield.
Holyfield has been impressed with Joshua's rapid rise through the heavyweight ranks but believes the 26-year-old is far from the finished article and would struggle against a fighter of Haye's calibre and experience.
"Listen, I think Joshua may be one of the best big guys out there," Holyfield told the Daily Mail.
"It's not just his power, I'm talking about him being one of the guys who can stay there the longest and make adjustments.
"He hasn't had to make any adjustments yet but his fighting style is that he can box. As you can see, he can hit too.
"But Haye - I think he's a complete fighter and I think by him being a bit older, a little bit more mature, I think that's going to make the difference. That experience can make the difference now.
"The thing is that the experience that David Haye has, Joshua doesn't.
"So he can slick him. He's a lot stronger now. When you get older and you take care of yourself, you're stronger."
