Anthony Joshua vs David Haye: Ex-heavyweight champ reckons 2017 fight is inevitable

New IBF world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua's performance in victory over Charles Martin has convince David Haye he could beat the British boxing sensation, despite the manner of his second round victory. Joshua knocked Martin down twice in a brutal stoppage of the American and attention has quickly turned to possible future opponents.

The Watford-born fighter is set for his first title defence in July against the winner of the Joseph Parker and Carlos Takam eliminator on 21 May, the same night as Haye faces his second opponent since coming out of retirement for a second time in the form of Arnold Gjergjaj. WBA and WBO champion and fellow Briton Tyson Fury and WBC title holder Deontay Wilder have been touted as potential matches but Haye has urged Joshua to overlook the unification fights in favour of a money-spinning clash at Wembley Stadium.

"I hope he keeps winning in the same good fashion that he does because come early next year, after he's got another two defence under his belt I'll have knocked out Arnold and Shannon Briggs," Haye told reporters following an open work-out in Canary Wharf. "It will make my fight against him that much bigger and more special.

"I can't see it being any longer than next year. He could squeeze in two defences by then and I'll do the same and we'll see where the chips lie as we go on later in the year. It's the biggest possible fight, as a fighter you want the biggest possible fight. He could go after Wilder and Fury but he'll make more money from fighting me and it'll be a bigger fight.

"If Joshua fought me at Wembley it would be a lot bigger than if he fought anyone else in the world. He is aware of that, but he needs to get some world class experience as champion and once he's comfortable and he's ready to fight anyone in the world; the fight will happen. I don't think it will take that long. A fight between myself and him would be very fun for the fans."

Joshua maintained his 100% record from his 16 professional bouts with a routine win over the southpaw Martin, which had followed the longest fight of his career against Dillian Whyte that saw the Olympic champion prevail in the seventh round. Haye however was able to take positives from Joshua's convincing win over Martin, and does not expect the mistakes he made against Whyte to be repeated.

"All of it [encouraged me]," the 35-year-old added. "He made no mistakes in the fight but it is not about making mistakes. I took more confidence from that fight than I did from the Dillian Whyte fight. The fight against Charles Martin he looked in supreme condition, cool, calm relaxed and focused; like how he would fight me.

"Whenever I fight people I only ever look at their best performances. When he got wobbled in the Whyte fight, I wouldn't watch that because I know he isn't stupid enough to do that with me, because he'll get knocked out. Him and his team are way too smart for that.

"The shots that he landed [on Martin] I don't believe would land on me, I think I could see them coming. I could see certain openings where I would set him up. I do not believe there is any fighter on the planet that could teach him what he will need to know to nullify my very, very fast and powerful attacks.

"When he fought Whyte I knew that wasn't him mentally up and ready. I knew that the guy who turned up for that fight wouldn't be the same guy who turned up for me. He would take me a lot more seriously than he took him."

David Haye takes on Arnold 'The Cobra' Gjerjaj at The O2 on May 21 - for tickets visit theo2.co.uk.