Former heavyweight boxing world champion David Haye visits Lincoln

Lincoln boxing fans were treated to a special evening as former heavyweight world champion David Haye was the star guest at a packed charity dinner.

“The Hayemaker,” who also appeared in ITV’s “I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here” in 2012, spoke about his plans for a potential return to the ring and a fight with fellow British heavyweight Anthony Joshua.

Haye with Casey Casement (left), coach at Bracebridge Boxing Club and James Beattie (right), event organiser

He said: “It’s great to come to Lincoln and it’s nice to meet boxing fans and mingle with them. I always like to go to different towns and get the vibe of the area and speak to people.

“I’ve been out of the ring for three years now. I’ve been planning for a comeback for a long time now and hopefully my plans will come into fruition soon.

“Anthony Joshua’s a freight train at the moment who’s demolishing everybody so hopefully he can maintain that so by the time I get back in the ring he’s still unbeaten. The better he does the bigger a potential fight with me would be.”

David was a “last minute substitute” for Frank Bruno, who had to withdraw from the event held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel on Brayford Wharf due to ill-health.

Frank had been due to talk about winning the heavyweight championship at the fourth attempt 20 years ago this month.

David added: “I’d like to wish Frank well. I know that he’s a fighter – he’s proved to people over the years that he’s a warrior – he had three world title challenges that were unsuccessful where a lot of people would have thrown in the towel and quit, but he came back and he made his lifelong ambition of becoming a heavyweight champion a reality.”

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Also at the event was Leeds-born fighter Josh Warrington, fresh from defending his Commonwealth featherweight title in front of 12,000 fans earlier in the month.

Part of the money raised from the evening will be donated to Bracebridge Boxing Club, which has fond memories for Josh who won his first ever amateur title there when he just was 11 years old, and returned recently to inspire the next generation of fighting stars in the city.