Thursday, July 23, 2009

Haye to fight WBA champion Valuev

David Haye
Haye won the WBA and WBC cruiserweight titles in November 2007

Britain's former world cruiserweight champion David Haye will take on Russia's WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev on 7 November.

The announcement ends speculation about who Haye's next opponent would be, following reports the Londoner had agreed a bout with Vitali Klitschko.

Haye, 28, is eight stones lighter and nine inches smaller than Valuev.

He said: "David only needed a slingshot and stone to flatten Goliath, my right hand generates more power than that."

"Valuev's known as 'The Beast From The East' and there's a reason he's got that nickname - he's a big, ugly, sweaty and hairy man from the Eastern Bloc," Haye added.

Valuev, who is 7ft tall, has yet to be floored or knocked out in his 16-year professional career and has lost just once in 50 fights.

But Haye, who has also lost just once in his career, said: "I am thrilled to announce that my dream of becoming world heavyweight champion will be realised on 7 November, when I challenge the tallest and heaviest champion of all time.

"I can't wait to step into the ring and prove that size doesn't matter. Mark my words: I will be the first man to knock Nikolai Valuev out."

Haye revealed how he first saw Valuev fight when he was 16 at the Battersea Hall in London and recalled thinking at the time how difficult it would be to fight someone so big.

The 28-year-old has also admitted that it will be difficult to find sparring partners the same size as Valuev, making preparation for the fight even harder.

A venue for the contest has yet to be announced but the 02 Arena in London is rumoured to be in contention to stage the fight.

Haye knows his best shot at victory will be to get in close and trouble the Russian giant, but the Londoner joked.

"I have to get in close and out-manoeuvre him," Haye told Sky Sports News.

"But I don't want to get too close, he's so hairy it's disgusting."

Haye had been scheduled to fight Klitschko's brother Wladimir in June but withdrew because of a back injury.

That back injury has now healed but has decided to face Valuev as the conditions of the contract were more favourable.

"There were reports in the German press that I had signed to fight Vitali Klitschko in September, but those reports were never true," he added.

"There have been long and exhausting discussions about the clash, but unfortunately I could never put my name to the fight contract the Klitschkos offered.

"The level of disrespect they have shown me throughout has left me feeling insulted."


No comments:

Post a Comment

MenuTube