David Haye doubts whether Dillian Whyte can become world champion after his defeat by Tyson Fury.
The 'Body Snatcher' will return to action this weekend in a heavyweight clash against undefeated Jermaine Franklin at the OVO Wembley Arena. It will be Whyte's first outing since being defeated by British rival Tyson Fury in his long-awaited world title challenge in April when he was stopped in the sixth round.
Former cruiserweight champion Haye believes Whyte must not overlook his upcoming clash against Franklin despite his world title plans, expecting the American to take confidence from his previous losses. "I don't know I am unaware but I will know a lot more after Saturday night," Haye told Mirror Fighting when asked about Whyte's world title credentials. "Someone who last two of his last three by knockout. It is hard to say then that this person is going to go and win a world title.
"Particularly with his age when he is now in his mid 30's. So does he still have it physically to go and beat Jermaine Franklin to get that fight against Anthony Joshua and beat him. There is a chance of that happening definitely, particularly after Anthony Joshua's losses to Oleksandr Usyk on the spin.
"His confidence is at an all-time low so I think it is a good time for Dillian to be getting back in the game and taking on unbeaten guys like this. Whenever you fight someone who hasn't lost before, the blueprint to beat them is not quite there so you need to do something you haven't before. But believe you me Jermaine Franklin will have the confidence coming in to this fight watching Dillian Whyte's two KO defeats against Fury and Povetkin."
Whyte was angered by the manner in which his title clash with Fury was stopped, after claiming his rival "illegally" pushed him to the canvas after the brutal uppercut that closed the show. The British star waited over 1,600 days for a shot at the title after eventually being ordered by the WBC, but will now need a rebuild to return to world-level with a whole host of contenders now waiting in line.
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However he will be focusing on the task at-hand, with a potential rematch against Anthony Joshua possible in 2023. The British star has even vowed to take a pay cut if that is what it takes to secure the second meeting next year. “I’ll fight Joshua tomorrow. I’ll fight him for less money,” Whyte told DAZN. “Whenever me and him fight, sparks fly. We just want to beat each other up.
"I’ll fight Joshua even when I’m 60. It’s a fight that will make me faster, diet better, and make me go to bed at 7 o’clock every day. My record showed that I fought one dangerous guy are another. I fought guys that no one else wanted to fight."
