Joe Fournier on fighting David Haye: "I'm heavy-handed and I have an excellent chin. When I hit him, he will feel it. He won't just walk me down. He knows I can bang, and we'll be wearing small gloves."
Friday 10 September 2021 13:07, UK
Joe Fournier insists "there was blood everywhere" after he dealt David Haye a warning of his punch power in a previous sparring session.
Haye, aged 40, is ending his retirement on Saturday night to fight Fournier, a former friend who talked his way into this bout during a holiday in Mykonos.
Fournier, an undefeated light-heavyweight whose business acumen has seen him estimated to be a billionaire, has acted as a sparring partner for Haye and insists he took confidence from those rounds.
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"There was an occasion at the Fifth Street Gym in Miami where I slipped David, threw a left hook, I busted his nose," Fournier told Sky Sports.
"There was blood everywhere.
"So I do know that I can hit him.
"You don't bust the nose of a professional athlete unless you hit him properly.
"David and I have sparred some heavy rounds.
"I'm heavy-handed and I have an excellent chin.
"When I hit him, he will feel it. He won't just walk me down.
"He knows I can bang, and we'll be wearing small gloves."
Fournier admitted he must be wary of Haye's notorious knockout power: "I need to be on my feet and to get him tired. If I throw haymakers in the first round, I'm in trouble. I need to show him that I won't be bullied but, when I know his overhand right is coming, I need to get out of there."
Haye and Evander Holyfield who, aged 58, is fighting in the main event of the same bill against Vitor Belfort, are the only two boxers ever to win world titles at cruiserweight and heavyweight.
Fournier has won all nine of his fights but has never met anyone of Haye's experience - his most recent win was over a musician who was boxing for the first time.
"People sleep on me as a boxer because of my business accolades," Fournier said. "I've sparred rounds with Chris Eubank Jr and James DeGale.
"The best time to fight a really good fighter, as the underdog, is when he is older, has been knocked out, and has been inactive.
"He will be under the lights for the first time in three years and it won't bring back good memories.
"I have the chance to fight my idol, someone I have looked up to. It was surreal when I fought on his undercard at The O2.
"I'm going out there to do a job on David. And I know how to do that."
He explained his tactics to beat Haye: "In business, if your goal is to make £1 million, don't think about how to spend it otherwise you will never get there. Think about starting up.
"In the fight, if I do the boring stuff, I will win. But if I get overexcited and go off the game-plan, that's where I could be in trouble.
"Once David gets in the ring, he will get the taste of blood. He will do what he's been wired to do. "
Triller promoter Ryan Kavanaugh has insisted that Haye is already in talks to fight a former heavyweight champion.
"Barring no injuries, he will want to fight again," agreed Fournier.
"Once he mixes it up and his body holds up he will say: 'Why did I ever retire?'
"Surely Evander Holyfield is inspiration to keep in shape.
"When someone turns the light off on your career, it can be a strange place to be.
"There's a chance David will come back - but he has to get through me first.
"The way I look up to David? He looks up to Holyfield. It would be special for them to share a ring."
But Haye's upcoming opponent is eyeing a glamour fight of his own: "Why can't it be Oscar De La Hoya vs Joe Fournier?
"The other person I want to fight is Conor McGregor - two people who are powerful in business!"
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Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk - IBF, WBA, WBO heavyweight titles
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Savannah Marshall vs Lolita Muzeya - WBO middleweight title
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Josh Taylor vs Jack Catterall - undisputed super-lightweight title
