Haye continues to think big despite being dwarfed by Valuev at weigh-in

THE size of the task facing David Haye was brought into sharp focus as WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev weighed in a daunting seven stone heavier than the Englishman.

Haye will tonight attempt to take Valuev's belt in Germany to become the first British fighter since Lennox Lewis to hold a version of the world title.

While the size difference between 6ft 3ins Haye and 7ft 2ins Valuev has always been clear, yesterday's weigh-in in Nuremberg hammered home the fact emphatically as Haye weighed in at a career-high 15st 8lbs only to see his Russian opponent tip the scales at 22st 8lbs.

Valuev has never been floored in 52 fights and has only ever been beaten once. Haye, 29, has a clear speed and skill advantage over the lumbering but effective Valuev, 36.

However, with a height difference of nearly a foot and such a deficit in weight, the Briton knows it would be an amazing story should he dethrone 'The Beast From The East' to take the WBA title.

"Going up against this guy is going to be strange," said Haye (22-1, 21KOs). "It is going to be a real shock to my system, no doubt, but I feel I can adapt and figure out a strategy to beat this big guy.

"He's the WBA heavyweight champion of the world. I said from day one that I wanted to become the heavyweight champion and here's my opportunity. This is what it's all about.

"I've trained so hard throughout the years. I was the undisputed, unified cruiserweight champion and that's what I want to do at heavyweight.

"This is my first mission, to go out there and fight this big, hairy, scary 'Beast From The East', the so-called eighth wonder of the world, a mammoth of a man.

"It's fairytale stuff. When I envisaged winning the heavyweight title it was against someone big, obviously, but not this big. But I feel I've got the skill, the will and the heart to go out there, knock this Russian out and bring this title back to Britain."

Rather than simply outboxing Valuev, Haye seems genuinely prepared to take the fight to the champion, who has 34 knockouts from his 50 wins (with one loss and one no contest). "He's a nice big target," said Haye. "His head is about three times as big as mine so I'm not going to have to worry about missing him.

"In 50-odd fights he's never been knocked down or knocked out and he's knocked out 75 per cent of his opponents. He's a good fighter, he's under-rated.

"His skills might be a little primitive but someone who is that big doesn't really need to have that skill, he just imposes his strength and his size and that normally gets him the win. I can't allow him to do that to me, I've got to go out there and really put him on the back foot and lay him out.When I do there will be a little tremor. I just can't wait."

Haye's tireless badmouthing has seemingly failed to get under Valuev's skin in the exhaustive build-up to the fight.

Asked at the main pre-fight press conference by British media if he planned to make Haye pay for all the taunts and insults, the Russian – who believes his opponent is as disliked in his homeland as he is elsewhere – said: "You'd like to see that, wouldn't you? I will do my best and try to show very good boxing and you'll get what you expect. Maybe some English people expect something special in the ring and I can tell you I will make your expectations happen."

Former two-weight world champion Ricky Hatton is one of those Englishmen expecting "something special" tonight, but the Mancunian is backing his compatriot to provide all the fireworks.

Hatton is still undecided over his own fighting future following his brutal defeat by Manny Pacquiao earlier this year but in Haye he sees a fighter who can go on to become Britain's most popular boxer.

He believes a Haye victory will resurrect the heavyweight's hopes of a clash with the Klitschko brothers Vitali and Wladimir, who hold the WBC and IBF/WBO belts respectively.

"He doesn't want to take too many punches and I think the key in this fight will be the speed factor. I think if David boxes a very clever fight and keeps his chin down and boxes sensibly, I don't think Valuev will be quick enough to hit him," Hatton said.

"David packs a lot of power and I think he can do to Valuev what no-one else has done and knock him out in sensational fashion.

"When he does that, he can sit down at the negotiating tables with the Klitschko brothers again and he's got a lot more pulling power then."