AFP/Joerg Kochview photoBERLIN (AFP) - WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev has arrived in Nuremberg ready for Saturday's fight with British challenger David Haye insisting he will leave Bavaria with his title.
Valuev, 36, takes on Haye at the Nuremberg Arena with former cruiserweight Haye eager to claim his first world title and the Londoner has accused the 2.13m tall Russian of being a "circus freak" in the pre-fight build-up.
But Valuev has kept silent despite his opponent's taunts as he looks to pick up his 51st professional win with 34 knock-outs and just one defeat, to Ruslan Chagaev in April 2007, on his record.
"I am in great shape and I will take home my title with me," said the Russian.
"I really look forward to the fight."
Haye, 29, is 23cms shorter and nearly 40 kgs lighter than Valuev in what is a true David versus Goliath contest.
The brash Brit - who labelled IBF and WBO heavyweight champion Vladimir Klitschko as 'Bitchko' - has been sparring with his trainer wearing 15cm-high boots to prepare for the height disadvantage he will face.
Referring to the biblical tale of diminutive David slaying the towering Goliath with a single blow to the head, Haye has used the fable in tv advertising for the fight.
"David beat Goliath...," says Haye looking into the camera, "....and this is my sling shot," he says holding up his fist.
Valuev has never been knocked down in 51 fights, but Haye insists he can be the first fighter to put the towering Russian on the canvas.
"There's a lot of people saying it's a crazy tactic to knock him out," he said.
"He's never been hurt, never been knocked down. But on my record, 21 out of my 22 victories have come by knockout."
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yeah its exhaustion that is the stumbling block here for Haye .. that and the judges. Haye will have to win every round to get the nod from the judges and knows that , so reckon come the middle of the fight Haye will hopefully have the confidence and power left to go for a stoppage.. My money will be on mercy stoppage round 8 or 9. The big guy can take punishment well too , unfortunately for him . Both Holyfeild and Chagaev were throwing bombs at will against him .. Haye is more devestating a puncher than either. But how this is box office and Pac/Cotto not is a strange one .. looks like Justin tv to watch again. Aint paying 15 quid or whatever for what will probably be remembered as novelty fight. Your a @#$% Haye but here is wishing you all the best. Go get him champ.
stantheman711...............Tire mate, not tyre.
BRIAN M: your missspelling is accurate. He is a "breast". Valuev doesn't have the same skills or speed as Haye. Once inside his jab, Haye will pepper him with blows he's never felt before. Also, Valuev doesn't have quick hands so Haye will be making him hit this air and tyring him out. Valuev needs an early knockout or Haye will tyre him out and knock 7 shades of @#$% out of him.
wtf hayes will be ko with in 5 rounds the brest from the east is no push over the only time hayes was good is when is was a cruiserweight the only fight i knew he done well was tyson but he was past it then
Jack your're right about the fight going long. Davids strategy should be to use his speed and reflexes to make Valuev miss - and punish him with big shots. He's got to get the giant out of there early. He won't win on points in Germany, and a long fight will sap his suspect tank. Go for broke.
haye has a weak chin which valuev will test and ko the little mouthpiece!
normally the bigger guys have weak chins,maybe haye can test it.
Yes that is true, I think Hayes only chance of winning this is to knock him out probably in the middle rounds although saying that Chagaev beat him on points and personally I think Haye would destroy Chagaev.
Very hard fight to call, I certainly wont be putting any money on it because what ever the outcome is it wont be a shock, anything could happen really.
what happens in boxing?me confffffused
I think the biggest risk for Haye is if the fight goes long,he'll get exhausted from Valuev's extra 7 stones leaning and holding and will be very vulnerable by that point to a sunday punch
I watch a lot of K1 and there are a number of fighters who are 6ft 10" +, I guess their size adapts them better to Kick Boxing than straight boxing and you would be surprised how many times a normal sized Heavyweight, say 6ft 3" and 16stone (like Haye) put them down through speed and power, I think if Haye lands a good couple of shots on his chin he will go down like anyone else would, problem is if one of those big club like paws land on Hayes chin he WILL go down as his chin isn't great anyway and when there is 23 stone hitting you it is a differnt matter altogether!
yeah think Long was two inches shorter than Valuev and Harrison is a inch or so taller than Haye but that's semantics.I take your point that it's hardly unprecedentd for little men to knock over big men,Tyson had to do it his whole career.Interesting that everyone goes on about Primo Canero being a giant,at 6'5" he was only 4" taller than Max Baer when they fought,guess people get bigger with time,in 60 years maybe people will think Valuev was 8ft ha ha
I think the giant that Fraudley put down was called Julius Long and he was about the same size as Valuev, 7ft 1" I believe whilst not as goos a boxer it still goes to show that a man that size can be put down.
I know Fraudley is a big fella but I am sure he fought a guy that was 7ft + and he put him on the floor, so if Fraudley can do it I am sure Haye can
Was it Mike White? seem to remember him towering about 8" over the top of Moorer without much fuss being made about,Moorer just knocked him out if I remember rightly.
Don't think the biblical analogy is too apt here,pretty sure David in the bible wasn't 6'3" and 16 1/2 stone,Haye is hardly a dwarf.I remember Micheal Moorer fighting another tall heavy opponant without all this freak,beast from the East rubbish talk,his name will come to me
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