WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev and David Haye came face-to-face for the first time ahead of their title clash in Nuremberg on November 7. “I believe I can knock him out,” Haye told a packed press conference at the Arena Nurnberger Versicherung. “I will take the title home with me.” Haye admitted that the preparation for the biggest fight of his life will be a difficult one. “It is hard to find sparring partners that are as tall as him,” he said. “But we will find some. This will be a true David-versus-Goliath battle. I am much faster than him and I will win.”

The Russian Giant certainly holds a different view. “Even though I have not fought for quite a while, I did not sit back and relax,” he stated. “I only had to take this long break because Ruslan Chagaev could not fight me. I have started my preparations for the fight at the end of June. In the past weeks I have been preparing specially for David Haye. He is a strong challenger but he will not beat me.”

And the biggest and tallest champion of all time added: “I will go back to Russia for a couple of days before returning to Berlin for sparring. Haye will try to edge me with his speed but I am prepared for that. He will not get my belt.”