Sky Sports in the UK have billed this fight 'David vs. Goliath' and rightly so. Ambitious cruiserweight turned heavyweight David Haye will take on 7'2" Nikolai Valuev on a rare occasion when one fighter will be outweighed by nearly 100lbs.
Has Haye Got A Chance?
With the height and weight of the two fighters being so different, many have questioned if the smaller man (Haye) will be able to pull this one off. It will be tough for sure, but there are ways in which Haye can win this.
Speed is going to be the key thing for Haye in this fight, and he must make sure he uses his feet. He will need to get right inside when he wants to engage in the action, and well outside when he doesn't, to avoid the rangy jabs of the Russian.
He must also make the most of the time he gets on the inside and avoid being tied up in clinches and being pushed away. Clinching with a man so much bigger will only wear Haye out, so body punches in bunches are the delicacy of the day for the Brit.
Haye must also not go in just looking for the knockout. Valuev has never been visibly hurt, never mind on the canvas, so if Haye managed to achieve this it would be truly remarkable. The likelihood is he won't be able to stop the 'Beast From The East' though, and if he tries to do this, he may earn himself an early night and a trip to hospital; not the Heavyweight crown he is looking for.
If Haye stays patient, and bobs in and out for the duration of the fight, Haye has every chance of running away with a points verdict. However, he must make sure he wins every second of every round, as Germany is notorious for judges biased towards the home fighter (which will be Valuev despite the fact he comes from Russia).
Valuev's Ways To Win
This fight is Nikolai Valuev's to throw away. David Haye isn't a proven heavyweight yet, and in his last outing, he was put down (albeit very briefly) by Monte Barrett. Haye has been stopped at cruiserweight, and put down on another occasion at the same weight. Whether Haye will be able to absorb the punches of Valuev is questionable. Valuev simply needs to land them to find out.
The best way for Valuev to do this would be to fight like he usually does. He utilises every inch of his reach, and jabs effectively. He must make sure that Haye doesn't get inside at will, and if he keeps Haye on the end of his jab, Valuev may be headed for a 35th knockout victory.
The Valuev camp will probably be expecting Haye to be a real pain to begin with, as he always turns up in excellent shape, and he may be able to keep his strategy going to begin with. However, when the second half of the fight arrives, Haye may begin to fatigue, as punching upwards is much harder than punching staright, and Valuev needs to take over at this juncture.
The pace of this fight is key for Valuev too. Having been a professional since 1993, Valuev has seen better days, and if he fights at David Haye's pace, he will struggle to keep up. 'The Beast From The East' must therefore control the fight using his experience, and make Haye regret getting close to him from the offset.
Who Will Win Haye vs. Valuev
In recent times Valuev has showed weaknesses (eg. in his loss against Ruslan Chagaev), and he may not be the most inventive fighter in the land, but he has that one intangible which can't be overlooked - size. At the end of the day, Haye must fight someone who is nearly 1ft larger than him, and that will always make for a hard night's work.
Haye has to be seen as the outsider for this, but if you fancy a bet on a fellow Brit, go for a Haye win on points. The more likely scenario is a Valuev stoppage in rounds 10-12 though, as the 'David' in this story is probably not quite up to the task of dismantling this 'Goliath'.
How To Watch Haye vs. Valuev
In the UK, the fight will be broadcast on Sky Box Office. In the US, the fight will be shown on Integrated Sports.
