DAVID Haye has vowed to "clean up" in the heavyweight division and unify the titles after ripping the WBA belt from the waist of Russian giant Nikolai Valuev.
In only his second fight as a fully-fledged heavyweight, the Englishman produced a technically sublime performance to beat champion Valuev on a majority points decision in Germany on Saturday night. In doing so, he became Britain's first heavyweight
champion since Lennox Lewis' retirement in 2003.
Haye, 29, only faced Valuev after being forced to pull out of a challenge for Wladimir Klitschko's IBF and WBO belts in the summer due to injury before negotiations with Klitschko's brother Vitali, the WBC champion, broke down.
Now, however, he has a title of his own to take to the negotiating table and, after getting a mandatory defence against John Ruiz out of the way, will go hunting for the Ukrainian siblings.
"This is the start of big things to come," Haye said. "Valuev felt like the best chin in the world in any weight division and I know there are a few other big guys around who won't be able to take that sort of punishment. I'm looking forward to cleaning up the division.
"I want anyone who has got a belt, that's why I moved up to heavyweight.
"I said I want to be unified champion and the Klitschkos are definitely in my sights. Unfortunately the fight (against one of the brothers) didn't happen. But, if it had, I wouldn't have been fighting Valuev now and I would have been locked down on that crazy contract they tried to get me to sign.
"I was very happy with the terms of this one so I am free now to move forward with my career."
Vitali Klitschko claimed yesterday he would fight Haye "at any time and knock him out". The Ukrainian told BBC Radio Five Live: "Full congratulations (to Haye). It was a good performance, a good points win. It was very close.
"It is a good fight for the future, maybe. I am ready to fight anyone in the world. I am ready to show to everyone I am the strongest in the world."
Haye was also open to the idea of a rematch with 7ft 2ins Valuev after a tight contest.
"If he gets back in line and some good wins under his belt then yes," said the Londoner. "I know everyone loved the fight and I'm sure he'll come with a better strategy next time. But so will I. So, if the fight happens again, I'll be more than happy to do it."
The Englishman executed his gameplan to the letter against the champion from St Petersburg, keeping out of Valuev's range while picking the Russian off when the opportunity presented, allowing him to earn his reward
with two of the judges awarding Haye the win by four rounds but the other seeing it a draw.
The highlight of the fight was in the final round, however, when Haye – who later revealed he injured his hand early on – sent two left hooks smashing against Valuev's head, coming dramatically close to flooring the Russian for the first time in his 16-year career.
"I knew it was the last round," explained the new champion, 23-1 (21KOs).
"I'd damaged my hand early in the fight which is why I was throwing so few right hands.
"But, in the last round I thought 'okay, I know my hand is broken but let me just test his chin'. I did, and you saw the result. For some reason the fight got broken up when I hurt him.
"My (right] hand went early in the fight, probably the second round when I hit him on the top of the head. He's got a very, very hard head. It's like punching a brick wall. I was surprised, I knew he was solid but nothing like that."
Valuev did not dispute the result but did accuse Haye of running away from the fight.
"One thing went wrong today from my point of view – it was like a marathon," said the dethroned champion.
"I felt like a track and field athlete because I had to run so much. But the judges had to score it. It was a close fight but I think the end of the last round made the difference."
Frank Bruno, a former British world heavyweight champion, described Haye's victory as a "cracking" achievement.
Meanwhile, leading promoter Richard Schaefer hailed the new champion Haye as the most marketable world champion in the sport after the successful end to months of self-promotion on the part of the south-Londoner.
In addition to performing excellently in the ring in Nuremburg, Haye had also performed brilliantly in the build-up, fully utilising his gift of the gab to gain publicity and boost the profile of an intriguing contest.
Haye – and his firm Hayemaker – have a long-term deal with major American player Golden Boy Promotions, and their chief executive Schaefer admits he is hugely excited by the potential for the new champion to now become a global star.
"It was a perfectly executed gameplan by David," said Schaefer in the aftermath of the majority points decision.
"Valuev was a great champion and an amazing attraction but today is really the beginning of a new time for the heavyweight division and the sport of boxing.
"There are a lot of champions and stars out there but really very few who have the talent and skills inside the ring but who can transcend that with their charisma outside the ring.
"And, if you were to rank those champions, then the only one at the top is David Haye.
"Congratulations, David, on behalf of all the fight fans. We were waiting for someone like you to enter the heavyweight division. Great job."
Schaefer emphasised how impressed he was with Haye's performance.
"He had him hurt there," he said. "I was sitting next to Valuev's manager who said it was the first time Valuev had got hurt like that.
"It shows how strong a heavyweight David Haye is. If you can hurt a giant like that then I think he can hurt anyone else in the heavyweight division."
Just as his win had fight fans celebrating, bookmakers came out smiling as well. Heavy pre-fight support for both boxers means bookmakers will have to pay out around £2million, spokesman for Coral Simon Clare said.
However, betting was split between patriots and boxing fans who opted to back the enormous Russian. Bookmaker Paddy Power said it had seen four times as much money put on Valuev than on Haye.
William Hill expected to take £1 million in bets on the fight and was offering odds of 28/1 that the Briton would win the bout and then go on to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
