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Saturday, November 07, 2009
THE size of the task facing David Haye was brought into sharp focus yesterday as WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev weighed in a daunting seven stone heavier than the Englishman.
Tonight Haye will attempt to take Valuev’s belt in Germany to become the first British fighter since Lennox Lewis to hold a version of the world title.
While the size difference between 6ft 3ins Haye and 7ft 2ins Valuev has always been clear, yesterday’s weigh-in in Nuremberg hammered home the fact emphatically as Haye weighed in at a career-high 15st 8lbs only to see his Russian opponent tip the scales at 22st 8lbs.
Valuev has never been floored in 52 fights and has only ever been beaten once.
Haye, 29, has a clear speed and skill advantage over the lumbering but effective Valuev, 36.
However, with a height difference of nearly a foot and such a deficit in weight, the Briton knows it would be an amazing story should he dethrone the Beast from the East to take the WBA title.
"Going up against this guy is going to be strange," Haye (22-1, 21KOs) said.
"It is going to be a real shock to my system, no doubt, but I feel I can adapt and figure out a strategy to beat this big guy.
"He’s the WBA heavyweight champion of the world. I said from day one that I wanted to become the heavyweight champion and here’s my opportunity. This is what it’s all about.
"I’ve trained so hard throughout the years. I was the undisputed, unified cruiserweight champion and that’s what I want to do at heavyweight.
"This is my first mission, to go out there and fight this big, hairy, scary Beast from the East, the so-called eighth wonder of the world, a mammoth of a man.
"It’s fairytale stuff. When I envisaged winning the heavyweight title it was against someone big, obviously, but not this big.
"But I feel I’ve got the skill, the will and the heart to go out there, knock this Russian out and bring this title back to Britain."
Rather than simply outboxing Valuev, Haye seems genuinely prepared to take the fight to the champion, who has 34 knockouts from his 50 wins (with one loss and one no contest).
"He’s a nice, big target," said Haye. "His head is about three times as big as mine so I’m not going to have to worry about missing him, I’ve just got to make sure I land enough shots to keep hurting him and break him down and then knock him out.
"In 50-odd fights he’s never been knocked down or knocked out and he’s knocked out 75% of his opponents. He’s a good fighter, he’s under-rated.
"His skills might be a little primitive but someone who is that big doesn’t really need to have that skill, he just imposes his strength and his size and that normally gets him the win.
"I can’t allow him to do that to me, I’ve got to go out there and really put him on the back foot and lay him out.
"When I do there will be a little tremor. I just can’t wait."
Haye’s tireless bad- mouthing has seemingly failed to get under Valuev’s skin in the exhaustive build-up to the fight at the Arena Nurnberger Versicherung.
Asked at the main pre-fight press conference by British media if he planned to make Haye pay for all the taunts and insults, the Russian — who believes his opponent is as disliked in his homeland as he is elsewhere — said: "You’d like to see that, wouldn’t you?
"I will do my best and try to show very good boxing and you’ll get what you expect. Maybe some English people expect something special in the ring and I will make your expectations happen."
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