5 Potential Opponents for Heavyweight David Haye's Next Fight
David Haye didn't waste a lot of time in his comeback fight.
Making his first appearance in the ring since beating Dereck Chisora in summer 2012, the Englishman flattened Mark de Mori inside a round at the O2 Arena in London.
Haye completely dominated The Dominator. A lovely counter right hand over the top was the beginning of the end for the Australian.
De Mori needed treatment in the ring before being taken to hospital after being knocked out, per Ian McCullough of the Sydney Morning Herald. He had not lost in over a decade, but then he had never faced an opponent of Haye's calibre.
In truth, you may well have seen better scraps in a pub car park. At least there you'd have two blokes keen to throw a punch.
But, Haye's return definitely created a buzz in British boxing. Love him or hate him, he makes the heavyweight division more interesting.
So, who will the 35-year-old face next?
Here, Bleacher Report has picked out (perhaps plucked out would be a better description) five potential opponents for the Hayemaker.
Honourable Mentions
1 of 6
There are two names that will be mentioned in conjunction with Haye—Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.
However, despite those fights being on Haye's doorstep, neither looks likely to happen, at least not in the short-term anyway.
Fury saw two previous bouts against Haye called off due to injuries to his opponent. He has no intention of trying again, particularly now that he is the holder of the WBA and WBO titles.
Peter Fury, Tyson's uncle, told Matt Horan of World Boxing News: "It is business at the end of the day, and good luck to him on his comeback, but we are not interested at all. We’ve had very bad, frustrating experiences with him and have no interest in any fight down the line."
Joshua and his team are more open to the possibility of a bout with Haye. Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, said, according to Tim Hobbs of Sky Sports: "I think a fight between the two is inevitable at some point."
However, per Chris McKenna of the Daily Star, Hearn isn't in a hurry to do a deal: "We [Joshua's team] are targeting a world title in 2016, and David doesn't really help with that cause."
If the pair keep winning, it has to happen. But, both men should focus on winning world titles right now, rather than each other.
As for Deontay Wilder, it is too early for him to appear on this list.
The American defended his WBC belt against Artur Szpilka on Jan. 16 but has a mandatory challenger in Alexander Povetkin waiting in the wings. He could also push to face new IBF champion Charles Martin in a unification fight.
Lucas Browne and Ruslan Chagaev are scheduled to face each other in March, so therefore were not considered.
5. Fres Oquendo
2 of 6
Fres Oquendo (37-8, 24 KOs) and Haye share some common ground, considering both have seen their careers held up by shoulder injuries.
Puerto Rican Oquendo had been due to meet Chagaev in a rematch on Oct. 17, 2015, only to hurt himself in sparring at his Chicago training camp ahead of the clash in Kiel, Germany.
The Big O lost the first bout with Chagaev on points, meaning he missed out on claiming the vacant interim WBA title.
There was a rematch clause fixed into the contract, but with Oquendo out of action the Russian is now scheduled to face Australian Browne on Mar. 5.
Oquendo has been a pro since 1997 and has suffered defeats against Evander Holyfield, John Ruiz (a former Haye opponent) and Oliver McCall.
4. Shannon Briggs
3 of 6
Considering Fury beat him to Wladimir Klitschko, Shannon Briggs (59-6-1, 52 KOs) needs a new heavyweight to occupy his time.
The American chased a fight with former undisputed heavyweight champion Klitschko for more than a year. Per Sky Sports, he even took to capsizing the Ukrainian's canoe during a training camp.
A fight with Haye could be tempting for Briggs, who took Vitali Klitschko 12 rounds in 2010.
The Cannon is still ready to fire at the age of 44, and his presence at press conferences would keep the media on their toes—literally anything could happen between the pair.
Briggs knows all about making a return to the ring after a lengthy absence. He was out for more than three years after the loss to Vitali, but since making his comeback in 2014 he's won eight bouts on the spin.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
3. Bermane Stiverne
4 of 6
Haye and Bermane Stiverne (25-2-1, 21 KOs) share one common goal—they both want to be a world champion again.
Stiverne—a Haiti-born heavyweight who is now based in Las Vegas—claimed the vacant WBC belt in 2014 after beating Chris Arreola by TKO in Round 6.
However, he failed to hold onto the strap for long. He lost in his first defence, with Wilder winning by unanimous decision in Las Vegas on Jan. 17, 2015.
The 37-year-old has a career knockout ratio of 75 per cent. He is also ranked in the top 10 by The Ring magazine.
Going up against Stiverne—who had to climb off the canvas to record a points win over Derric Rossy in November 2015—would give Haye the chance to do a number on an opponent Wilder couldn't shift.
Per BoxRec, B. WARE has no fight booked yet for 2016. A date in March or April against Haye would give both men a chance to further their claims for a world title shot later in the year.
2. Dillian Whyte
5 of 6
Dillian Whyte (16-1, 13 KOs) didn't get a win against Joshua, but he did show himself to be a capable heavyweight who has a long-term future in the division.
The Body Snatcher had his rival wobbled in Round 2 of their much-hyped bout at the O2 Arena on Dec. 12, 2015.
He also showed durability to make it to Round 7 before being stopped—no other opponent had managed to push Joshua beyond the third.
A fight against Whyte would see Haye scrutinised for his performance against a former Joshua foe. He would see it as a challenge to do a better job than the Olympic gold medallist.
Trainer/manager Dave Coldwell—who works with world champion Jamie McDonnell and cruiserweight Tony Bellew—suggested a Haye-Whyte bout on Twitter. Whyte replied: "Deffo would fight David later this year."
Although it would mean facing a foe without experience at world level, Haye—who is now promoting himself—is an astute businessman.
Taking on Whyte would attract far more media interest than any of the other names included in this top five.
1. Malik Scott
6 of 6
Malik Scott (38-2-1, 13 KOs) ticks a lot of boxes for Haye. He is an experienced heavyweight who would be an excellent stepping stone towards a world title fight.
Most importantly, the American seems keen to take on the Hayemaker.
Scott called out Haye on Twitter (WARNING: Link contains strong language that is NSFW) before being part of Wilder's team for the WBC champion's defence on Jan. 16 in Brooklyn.
De Mori cleverly used social media to get his chance at Haye. His reward was a decent payday and a severe headache.
Scott lost to Wilder in March 2014 inside a round. His only other career defeat came against Chisora, albeit his corner complained the stoppage in Round 6 was premature.
A light hitter judging by his 32 per cent career knockout rate, the 35-year-old was last seen beating compatriot Tony Thompson on points in October 2015.
Who would you like to see Haye fight next? Bleacher Report welcomes your (realistic) ideas, so feel free to make use of the comments section.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
