Ricky Hatton believes David Haye's speed will help him defeat Nikolai Valuev when they meet head on next month.
'The Hayemaker' will go toe to toe with the giant Russian for the WBA world heavyweight title in Nuremburg on November 7, live on Sky Box Office.
The fight has been billed as 'David and Goliath', but despite Valuev's 7ft 2in frame Hatton is confident Haye will be leaving the ring as world champion.
"I think he can beat him and I've thought from the start that he will," he told Soccer AM.
"As big as that fella is, he isn't the quickest and he isn't the most mobile and if there's one thing that David is, it is quick and he can hit double his body weight.
"When I saw him at the press conference though, I was a little more nervous! But to be honest I still think he will beat him.
"David is about 15 or 16 stone and if you get it on the chin with 15 stone, it doesn't matter how big you are, you're going to go."
Hatton himself hasn't stepped into the ring since his devastating second-round knockout by Manny Pacquiao in May, and he is yet to make up his mind about his future as a fighter.
Instead 'The Hitman' has taken his first steps on the road to becoming a top boxing promoter.
Last month his friend and sparring partner Matthew Macklin gave him his first significant champion in his new role and the Manchester City fan admitted that he didn't have the desire to fight again just yet.
"At the moment I'm just sitting back, recharging the batteries and having a bit of a break really," he said,
"As far as the actual fighting goes it is the hardest game in the world. So to get up at six in the morning and go running and go in the gym everyday you've got to want to do it and you've got to have the bit between your teeth and I don't really feel that at the minute.
"But like any fighter once you've had a rest and you start getting itchy feet I'm sure you'll come back."
"There's no time limit on it," he added. "I've likely had more fights than most British world champions over the years - I've had 47 fights now - and I'm still only 31 years of age, so I've got loads of time to come back, but I just want to have a rest at the minute."
'The Hayemaker' will go toe to toe with the giant Russian for the WBA world heavyweight title in Nuremburg on November 7, live on Sky Box Office.
The fight has been billed as 'David and Goliath', but despite Valuev's 7ft 2in frame Hatton is confident Haye will be leaving the ring as world champion.
"I think he can beat him and I've thought from the start that he will," he told Soccer AM.
"As big as that fella is, he isn't the quickest and he isn't the most mobile and if there's one thing that David is, it is quick and he can hit double his body weight.
"When I saw him at the press conference though, I was a little more nervous! But to be honest I still think he will beat him.
"David is about 15 or 16 stone and if you get it on the chin with 15 stone, it doesn't matter how big you are, you're going to go."
Hatton himself hasn't stepped into the ring since his devastating second-round knockout by Manny Pacquiao in May, and he is yet to make up his mind about his future as a fighter.
Instead 'The Hitman' has taken his first steps on the road to becoming a top boxing promoter.
Last month his friend and sparring partner Matthew Macklin gave him his first significant champion in his new role and the Manchester City fan admitted that he didn't have the desire to fight again just yet.
"At the moment I'm just sitting back, recharging the batteries and having a bit of a break really," he said,
"As far as the actual fighting goes it is the hardest game in the world. So to get up at six in the morning and go running and go in the gym everyday you've got to want to do it and you've got to have the bit between your teeth and I don't really feel that at the minute.
"But like any fighter once you've had a rest and you start getting itchy feet I'm sure you'll come back."
"There's no time limit on it," he added. "I've likely had more fights than most British world champions over the years - I've had 47 fights now - and I'm still only 31 years of age, so I've got loads of time to come back, but I just want to have a rest at the minute."
No comments:
Post a Comment