by James Slater – The venue for the upcoming November 7th WBA heavyweight title fight between champ Nikolai Valuev and challenger David Haye has been officially announced this evening by Sauerland Promotions. The intriguing battle between the 7’1″ champion and his 6’3″ challenger will go ahead at The Nurnburger Versicherung Arena in Nuremburg, Germany – the scene of what Team-Valuev call one of the giant’s best showings..
The huge 36-year-old shut-out Sergei Liakhovich at the venue back in February of last year, and according to his team Valuev is delighted to be fighting at the same place once again. Speaking to The Telegraph, the once-beaten Vaulev has also promised that in this version of David Vs. Goliath – as the fight has been tagged – it will be the big guy who wins.
“He [Haye] can say what he wants,” Valuev said. “I look forward to fighting in Nuremburg again. I will continue where I left it against Liakhovich. Haye is a strong challenger, but he will not beat me. I will defend my title and calm Haye down.”
Valuev, of course, is referring to “The Hayemaker’s” fondness for trash-talking when he says he will calm him down, and though the Russian colossus has not been treated to anywhere near the disrespect the two Klitschko brothers were – Wladimir in particular – news may have filtered back to Valuev about how 28-year-old Haye has been calling him a “big, hairy freak.”
Not as big a grudge match as Klitschko- Haye was/ will be, Valuev-Haye is not as interesting to the majority of the paying fans either. Still, it’s a reasonably exciting match-up to look forward to, and there can be decent arguments made for either guy winning. Haye has said he will be looking for the KO (and should he get it, imagine how many times replay of the massive Russian hitting the mat will be seen on YouTube!), while some good judges feel the fight will likely go the distance. But if it does so, who will get the decision?
Germany has a pretty good record when it comes to the away fighter being treated fairly by the judges (certainly, Germany has not inflicted on the sport a decision this year that was as bad as either Paulie Malignaggi getting robbed against Juan Diaz or John McDermott getting ever worse treatment after the conclusion of his fight with Tyson Fury); but at the same time if it’s close Valuev’s massive hand will have a good chance of being raised.
Whoever does win on November 7th will almost certainly have to face mandatory challenger and former champ John Ruiz in his next fight; but after that a unification with either Klitschko brother could be a real possibility. For November’s loser, however, it will be a hard road back to anywhere near the top.
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