NUREMBERG, Germany – David Haye won the WBA heavyweight championship in surprising Nikolai Valuev by a majority decision on Saturday.
The brash British boxer used his superior quickness against the huge Russian, who came close to being knocked down for the first time in his 16-year pro career in the final round.
“The key was my speed,” Haye said. “People don’t realize I am very fast. And I have a powerful punch. I’m athletic and if I wasn’t a boxer I would be playing football or rugby.”
Haye, a former cruiserweight world champion, won his third heavyweight fight to improve to 23-1 with 21 KOs, despite giving up nearly a foot (28 centimeters) and nearly 100 pounds to the tallest and heaviest champion in history.
“Everybody thought I was crazy. But I knew I could make him miss,” Haye said. (AP)