Triller co-founder Ryan Kavanaugh admits that he’s trying to position David Haye in a major fight.
The 40-year-old Haye, a former two division champion, will end his retirement on Saturday night when he faces former friend Joe Fournier in Hollywood, Florida. The bout is part of the undercard to Evander Holyfield’s return against former UFC champion Vitor Belfort.
Haye walked away from the sport in 2018, after suffering back to back knockout defeats at the hands of Tony Bellew.
The British star is a tremendous favorite to beat Fournier.
Should Haye win, Triller is going to offer him a big opportunity.
“If he wins? All I can say without giving too much away is that you should expect a very big fight,” Triller promoter Kavanaugh told Sky Sports.
In past interviews, Haye made it clear that he does not intend to restart his career.
“It’s not a comeback,” Haye previously said to Sky Sports.
“[I will] not to make any decisions when the adrenaline is flowing after you’ve just beaten someone I’m a 100-1 favorite to beat.”
Kavanaugh will not reveal the name of Haye’s potential “big” opponent, but he did rule out former champion Wladimir Klitschko.
“I couldn’t tell you who it is,” Kavanaugh teased.
“[The opponent is] the highest of the high. If [a former heavyweight champion] is what you consider the highest of the high? You wouldn’t be wrong.”
Before any of that can happen, Kavanaugh expects a real grudge match between Haye and Fournier.
“Everybody knows Joe and David have, or had, a friendship. Joe was trained by David, taught to box by David. Everything he knows is from David. Joe is younger, richer, more popular in terms of social media,” Kavanaugh said.
“Joe called me and said: ‘I want to call out David Haye – he thinks I’m getting too big for my boots!’. I said: ‘You are, bro!’. I’m not joking – Haye told Joe: ‘Don’t get too full of yourself because I could still kick your ass!’. But Joe said: ‘No you couldn’t!’. I said: ‘Let’s take this into the ring!’. Haye said to Joe: ‘I am going to destroy you’. Joe said: ‘You are old, I am young, you will get knocked out’. It became a contentious thing.
“David said: ‘Listen buddy, I taught you everything you know’. And Joe said: ‘You’ve got a bad [ankle], you are old and slow, I am going to knock you out’. They both say they will knock the other out with such conviction. They will be going full throttle. They’re friends? That’s what makes this so crazy! If David loses to his protege who fancies himself as a billionaire playboy? If Joe loses with all his trash talk?”