NUREMBERG, Germany (AFP) - WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev said on Wednesday he will use challenger David Haye's own words as motivation to defeat the brash Englishman when the pair clash here on Saturday.
The Russian plans to let his fists do the talking at the Nuremberg Arena as Haye has regularly hurled insults his way and branded Valuev, who tips the scales at around 145kgs and is 2.13m tall, a 'circus freak'.
"His comments have been very motivating," said Valuev.
"But let's see what Haye has to offer inside the ring. I don't think he will be able to follow it up.
"But I will not under-estimate him."
This is Haye's first shot at a world title after stepping up from cruiserweight and he will be taking a step into the unknown against Valuev, but he insists he can knock out the champion for the first time in the Russian's career.
"Training has gone great and I am going to make him look silly on Saturday night," insisted Haye.
"I am going to embarrass him - knock him out.
"He's never fought anyone as fast or who punches as hard as me, or as accurate.
"I know he feels I'm a little mouthy man from England, but he's gonna be in for a rude awakening when that bell goes."
But Valuev, who has suffered just one defeat in his career with 50 wins and 34 knock-outs, brushed off any suggestions of an upset.
"He can say what he wants," said the Russian.
"I have heard that from many opponents before. It is not going to happen. I will win."
And Valuev's manager Wilfried Sauerland admitted there have been raised eye-brows in the Russian's camp as the British fighter seems to have boundless confidence.
"I don't know where he takes it from," said Sauerland.
"He is untested at heavyweight and got knocked down a lot of times in his career.
"Now he is facing a proven champion with 50 victories, so I really wonder why he is so optimistic."
Comment 4 - 23 of 23
@DerrickM...Haye learnt his lesson in the Carl Thomson Fight - he blew out in 3 rounds and took a hiding in the 4th before his corner threw in the towel in the 5th. Haye has a 100% knock out record. if I may make a comparison, he's the new Holyfield. I agree with MisterB. I've hardly heard of 48 of Valuev's 50 opponents. Haye is talented, extremely hard hitting and in person actually a very humble and laid back guy. Put him in front of a camera promoting a fight and he acts up as many do. At least we're all interested in a heavy weight fight again. I want to see Haye deal to the Klitschko brothers then fight NZ's David Tua.
As far as I am concern your black guy looks like a beast. Whenever I go to the zoo I see a lot of them and I am not a racist! He is ugly!
Lance: You say "Haye has yet to prove he can knock heavyweights out" What about his 5th round stoppage of Monte Barrett? He had him down in rounds 3 and 4 before finishing him convincingly in 5. Considering that's his only Heavyweight fight so far I think he proved he can knock them out. Yes one isn't many but he's done it and with style too. Do you actualy follow boxing? Surely you would have know about that fight or at least mentioned it if you did and not made your statement.
Lance:
Lance:
Lance:
Come on Haymaker knock some prettiness into the ugly beast, and come home a champ.
Derrick M. (post 15)
Haye isn't going to go straight for the KO, he even said that himself. He's going to go for his body to wear him down, then he will go for the KO in the later rounds if he thinks Valuev is ready to be KOed. It would be foolish for Haye to stand toe to toe with Valuev and trade punches. Remember, Haye was a cruiserweight. He is quicker on his toes and has faster punches than the average heavyweight, that will work to Haye's advantage.
Much as I love the guy, Hayemaker won't hear the bell at the end of the fourth !! He can't raise his gloves above his shoulders to defend himself and he'll blow himself out in the first couple of round by trying to K.O. Valuev, then when he has ran out of gas the monster will bludgeon him. In favour of Hayemaker, I say Valuev will NOT knock him out clean ?!!
Haye is all mouth, and I suspect he will get found out big time on Saturday. This is what will happen:
Rounds 1-7, Haye will go for it, Valuev will be ultra cautious.
Rounds 8-12, Haye will start to get knackered, Valuev will start leaning on him and draining him even more. Valuev will catch him and knock him out (possible), or it will go the distance and Valuev will get an decision from the biased judges.
One thing's for sure though, there is NO WAY Haye will knock this guy out!!
haye has more chance of winning the lottery..
But Valuev is real big and heavy boxer. He is not slow and fat old man. Valuev is smart enough avoid to talk bullshid. He respect all his opponents. I hope Valuev give Haye boxing lesson.
MisterB, the clips you refer to were against a (now proven to be) chinny cruiser. Haye has yet to prove he can knock heavyweights out the same way. Personaly, I think David proved his heart and desire in the Mormeck fight.
haye is a clown.
ronnie.simpson2: watch his youtube clips. He throws bigger punches than his mouth does insults. Look at what a mess he made of Enzo.
lets wait and see if haye can throw a punch as good as he can throw an insult
Haye v Macarinelli: youtube.c*m/watch?v=WrnjuQY9rek
bye bye valuev. Haye will destroy him.
Lance: of course he can punch BUT a true puncher has an overwhelming ration of KO's to fights and Valuev doesn't have that. Pound for pound there really is no comparison between Haye and Valuev. In a strange way I feel that Valuev and his camp have been more arrogant than Haye. Haye has given up being the undiputed World champion to fight a guy that has only ever won one title from a relative nobody in boxing and who (as all boxing fans know) was beaten by an old Holyfield. Haye is like Tyson, Lewis, Holyfield etc all in one. Value only has to blink and Haye will have hit him 3 times. He's a big oaf of a man that will hurt badly on Saturday. The only thing saving him from even more pain is the fact he wears his shorts so high that the band is above Haye's chest.
I just feel that Valuev's record flatters him because he has fought chump fighters in a very, very poor division. 50 fights and no Klitschko ones? Who's he been running from? Yet again, who the hell has he been fighting? A: NOBODYS and when he fought someone with talent (Holyfield) he was technically beaten. Holyfield was robbed that night and Valuev didn't throw anything after round 7. Haye will punish him badly if he doe the same in this fight.
Valuev has tried to change too many things for this fight too. He has lost weight etc and I feel that this will have a negative effect rather than a positive one. I think in his mind he thinks he can stand and punch more than before..................wrong!
I agree, MisterB, and I think Haye will KO him too. But you cant say an athlete of 22 stone with 30 odd Ko's can't punch - even if the victims are nobody's. At this level, they can all hurt you.
Lance: Valuev has been fighting people we've never heard of his whole career. He's never fought anyone with the record of Haye and after this fight will never do again. Getting knock outs in a division as talentless as the Heavyweight one is quite easy. You forget that the people he has fought so far have nowhere near the same hand speed or agility of Haye. Yes, anyone can get lucky with a freak punch but I genuinely believe that Valuev will have to be lucky to win this. Otherwise, its up to his Manager to do something similar to what happened when Valuev was beaten by Holyfield only to have it given to him by the "judges".
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