sport news Why David Haye's desire to fight Tyson Fury is more a fantasy than a reality

Since David Haye last secured a professional win in 2016 against the little-known Arnold Gjergjaj, the 'Hayemaker' has been stopped twice by Tony Bellew, faced a plethora of career-threatening injuries, retired and most recently gone the distance with friend and businessman Joe Fournier in an eight-round exhibition. 

Now, Haye wants to fight Tyson Fury.   

Perhaps not the easiest task, as a certain Deontay Wilder will attest to, after suffering two brutal defeats at the hands of the Gypsy King, who ended their historic trilogy with a scintillating 11th-round stoppage over the weekend to cement his status as the division's 'top dog', as he put it. 

Fury's display of sublime skill, miraculous powers of recovery and an unfathomable engine at 277lbs was clearly not enough to deter Haye, who beforehand predicted a knockout win for Wilder, as he doubled-down on his recently-stated desire to settle his own rivalry with the Brit. 

'That big fat dosser, I know his kryptonite, I know what he can't handle,' he said before the fight. And after? 'It's 100 per cent serious. I said the only person I'd put my body through a comeback for would be for the No 1 heavyweight on the planet.'  

But is a match-up between the long-term rivals actually a possibility? Or is Haye's desire more of a fantasy? 

The rivalry between Haye and Fury predates the latter's extraordinary rise to the head of the heavyweight division - and an already-guaranteed place in the history books. 

The pair were scheduled to fight twice, once in 2013 and the other in 2014, with Haye harnessing ambitions to fight Vitali Klitschko, the brother of Wladimir, of whom he lost his WBA title to via unanimous decision in 2011. 

Meanwhile, Fury was looking to propel himself towards his own bout with Wladimir Klitschko, who he then memorably defeated in 2015 to become unified champion. 

The fights would never materialise, however, with Haye pulling out on both occasions. First after suffering a 'deep cut' in the final spar of his training camp, and second after requiring reconstructive shoulder surgery that would keep him out for the best part of four years.  

But after Fury rose to the occasion in Dusseldorf, achieving what Haye was unable to do himself, a still-incensed Gypsy King insisted the chapter between he and his British rival was now closed for good.  

'David Haye will never get a fight against Tyson Fury after what he did to me,' Fury said. 'I remember him saying that he'd never give me a payday. Well, the shoe is on the other foot now.

'If he gets a mandatory shot with any of the governing bodies, I'll vacate the title. Let him go and fight Fred Flintstone or Joe Bloggs and make no money. 

'I don't care if he says I can make £10million by fighting him, it's not about money for me.

'I knew how much boxers got messed about at the highest level. But there were times (when Haye pulled out of the fights) that I didn't want to box any more. He is a pretender, a fraud and he is getting no opportunities from us.'

Six years later, the situation is still much the same, regardless of Haye's recent call-outs. Fury is at the top of the food chain, while Haye - who insists it's the 6ft 9in giant or no-one - is on the periphery... at best.  

Fury's father John certainly hasn't forgotten the war of words between the two camps, labelling the former heavyweight champion and unified cruiserweight king an 'idiot'. 

'He's a hater, he's got nothing good to say, he's not a good pundit, he gets everything wrong and it's all about David Haye,' he said after his son's win over Wilder. 

'I'm not knocking his achievements, he did a brilliant job as world champion, but he needs to grow up and get a personality. I've got no respect for that man at all, none.'

But even aside from the

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