How impressed are David Haye and Richard Schaefer with Olympic silver medallist Joe Joyce?

They believe the boxer can be ready for the likes of world champions Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder in five to six fights.

Joyce recently decided to turn pro and signed a promotional agreement with Hayemaker Ringstar - a joint promotional venture between Haye and Schaefer of Ringstar Sports.

Because Joyce is already 31 years old, Haye and Schaefer want to fast track the boxer.

They don't want to waste Joyce's time with overmatched opponents who are going to get clipped out in one round.

They also want to match Joyce in a rematch against Tony Yoka, who defeated the British prospect in the 2016 Olympic games to claim gold. Yoka has already turned pro and signed on to Schaefer's Ringstar Sports.

"He has time against him in one aspect -- he's 31 years of age. But I know first-hand, I've seen what he can do to some very high-level, world-class professional boxers. Joe was sparring with Hughie Fury a couple of weeks ago, he sparred with Anthony Joshua before the Wladimir Klitschko fight, and he gave a very, very good account of himself," Haye told Nick Parkinson.

"He's 10-round fit today. He could fight in a 10-round fight in a week's time against pretty much anybody in the world and he would probably win, he is that good. He doesn't need the little four-rounders against guys from wherever who just turn up. He doesn't want to waste a year hitting people with one shot and them falling over. He wants to do eight, 10-rounders straight away, he is that advanced."

In five or six fights, Schaefer believes Joyce will be ready for the likes of Wilder and Joshua.

"If you look at the top 10, 15, 20-ranked heavyweights today, there are only two I wouldn't put him in with right now - Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder. All the others I would have no problem with. He needs five or six fights before we can put him in with Wilder or Joshua," Schaefer said.

Joyce is expected to make his pro debut in the fall.