Anthony Joshua will defeat Charles Martin, insists David Haye
Friday 1 April 2016 18:52, UK
Anthony Joshua has the “physical tools” to take Charles Martin’s world heavyweight championship, according to David Haye.
Joshua will challenge for the IBF title against American champion Martin on April 9, live on Sky Sports Box Office, and heavyweight rival Haye expects the belt to remain in Britain.
Haye, a former world cruiserweight champion and world heavyweight champion, has also thrown his name in the hat to fight the winner.
This is where we find out if Anthony Joshua is the goods or not. I believe he is.
"This is where we find out if Anthony Joshua is the goods or not," Haye said on Periscope. "I believe he is, I believe he has the physical tools to get this fight won - and get it won in style.
"For me, this is his first true test. He had a domestic test in his last fight with Dillian Whyte and he passed with flying colours. This is his first world test - he's fighting a guy who's coming in with a world championship belt but I believe he will pass with flying colours.
"Joshua's superior heart, skill and determination shone through [against Whyte] so congratulations to him. He'll need a lot more of that mentality to win this IBF title.
"When you get two young, undefeated fighters getting in the ring to trade blows, you get fireworks.
"Obviously I'm going to want to fight the winner. I'm a former world champion myself and I want to get back there."
Haye's first port of call will be a date against unbeaten Arnold Gjergjaj at The O2 on May 21, having ended a near four-year hiatus from the ring with a first-round stoppage of Mark De Mori in January.
He could also be on a collision course with outspoken former world champion Shannon Briggs, who gate-crashed Haye's press conference to announce the Gjergjaj fight but didn't accept a tongue-in-cheek offer to box on the undercard.
Haye said: "I think he's genuinely lost his mind, coming to England to chase me down and banging on my gym's door. That's not the behaviour of a sane human being.
"It's one thing screaming and shouting about a big fight but is he willing to turn up and show us what he's got?"
Charles Martin vs Anthony Joshua, live on Sky Sports Box Office on April 9, is available to order via online.
