David Haye can’t wait for his biggest challenge yet, when he takes on 7ft 2in WBA heavyweight champion, Russian giant Nikolai Valuev for the world heavyweight title on November 7th.
A confident Haye said, “I am thrilled my dream of becoming world heavyweight champion will be realised when I challenge the tallest and heaviest champion of all time.
“There were reports in the German press that I had signed to fight Vitali Klitschko in September but those were never true.
“I could never put my name to the contract they offered. The level of disrespect they have shown me has left me feeling insulted.”
The 28-year-old Haye will instead take on a man who is nine inches taller than him. Valuev has yet to be floored or knocked out in his 16-year pro career.
Haye said: “Valuev is eight stone heavier than me and a foot taller. David only needed a slingshot and a stone to flatten Goliath and I’m convinced that my right hand generates more power than a stone. I can’t wait to prove size doesn’t matter.”
“Mark my words – I will be the first man to knock Valuev out, I’m going to make him look slow, he is like something out of an old zombie movie, when they get you they get you, but I cant allow him to get me” Haye says he will also be in great condition for this fight, after pulling out of his last schedule fight against Wladimir Klitschko, “I’m ticking over now and will be ready come November, this fight really just came out of the blue from nowhere, the options are great and after I beat him I’m free to fight in the UK, which I’ve always wanted to do, bring the heavyweight Title belt back to the UK and defend it here”
Valuev was unimpressed by the challenger’s remarks. “It is not the first time that my opponents have said things like that,” he said. “Haye is a young man with a big mouth. Let him talk. It will be different in the ring. He will certainly not get my belt!”
If Haye does win this fight he will be in a good position to bargain a unification fight with the Klitcko brothers, going back to the table this time with the WBA title as chips.
David Haye interview on Sky Sports, about the fight.
Haye, 6’3”, will be giving up eleven inches in height against the huge 7’2” 23 stone Valuev, who is the heavy est and tallest champion of all time.
Here is his Fight with Holyfield, Many believe Evander should have won this?
The Giant Valuev “The Beast from the East” has only lost 1 fight in his boxing career, he had 23 amateur fights, lost none, with 16 by Knockout. In his professional career he has a record of 50 fights, 49 wins and 34 wins by knockouts. Even in the age of the big heavyweight Valuev dwarfs his compatriot’s. “People pay far too much attention to my height, its not like I can cut some of myself off and become 10cm shorter, I was created this way, by nature and by God and my parents, since childhood I have become used to this, because people don’t approach me like they would an everyday person, but I’ve never taken up a single nickname I’ve been given, I prefer the names my parents gave me.”
Without his size and boxing credentials Valuev is an interesting character outside of the ring, as a youngster he was a very accomplished basketball player and athlete, and at 19 was Russian Junior discuss champion. He is a film star, a best selling author, reads poetry and is a devote family man. It wasn’t until he was 20 that he stepped into the ring. “When I came to boxing I wouldn’t say I wasn’t prepared, but boxing was much different than what I was doing previously, that I had to learn everything from scratch, I had a lot to catch up on, technique, movement and reactions, these difficulties had to be overcome, sometimes it shows because I began boxing so late, but I’ve had to adapt to what nature as given me”
Valuev’s career started off more as a bit of a circus act and nobody believed he could possibly go on to capture the heavyweight title. Frank Maloney brought him over to England in 1996 to fight Darren Fearn and Neil Kirkwood at the York Hall, Bethnal Green, London, he won both fights by early knockouts round 1 and 2. I recall everybody looking forward to seeing this giant man enter the ring, and everyone asking each other have they seen him yet, David Haye was ring side for those fights as a young amateur.
So can Haye pull this one off? It’s a tall order! which ever way you look at it, but Hayes speed and movement are the key, and he must avoid being caught coming in by Valuevs heavy handed shots. Valuev isn’t a concussive hitter having said that, but Haye is a cruiserweight moving up. The Russian as never been down or stopped in his boxing career. In Valuevs last fight he defeated an old Evander Holyfield also a former undisputed cruiserweight champion, who moved up to win the heavyweight title from Riddick Bowe. Many people believe Holyfield should have took the decision. Haye can win this fight, and I think he will on points.
By: Chris Maylett
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