Shannon Briggs believes he could have defeated David Haye before the two battles with Tony Bellew
Written by News on 05/04/2019
Shannon Briggs says David Haye would never have fought Tony Bellew, if he had firstly agreed to settle their heavyweight feud.
The New Yorker had held talks for a grudge fight with Haye, even appearing on the Londoner’s undercard at The O2 in May 2016, but the bout was never finalised.
Haye has since retired after losing two battles with Bellew, although Briggs remains confident he would have delivered the defeat that convinced the two-weight champion to hang up his gloves, years earlier.
“It would have been an early night,” Briggs told Sky Sports.
“When I’m angry, when I’ve got something to fight for, I’m charged up. Two guys who don’t like each other is a great fight.
“If David Haye had fought me before he fought the Bellew fight, there wouldn’t have been the Bellew fight.
“I ain’t the prettiest brother, but he would have been looking like me after the fight. He would have never fought again.”
Haye now acts as a manager for Derek Chisora, another British fighter ‘The Cannon’ wanted to face.
Chisora returns against Senad Gashi on April 20, live on Sky Sports, with Haye watching from ringside, but Briggs insists his old adversary might still be tempted to face him.
“That Bellew wasn’t enough,” said Briggs. “He’ll still feel like ‘I can get one more shot’, and I think he’s going to come back.
“My gut feeling says David is going to come back, and I’m going to be waiting for him.”
(c) Sky News 2019: Shannon Briggs believes he could have defeated David Haye before the two battles with Tony Bellew
