Haye: 'This is just the start'

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 last 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.

Haye said: 'This is the start of big things to come.

'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.'

Klitschko claimed this morning 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.'

However, promoter Frank Warren does not rate Valuev and he believes Haye's quality as world champion can only be judged when he faces one of the Klitschko brothers.

Warren said: 'Nobody can tell me Valuev is a quality heavyweight. He is not even an average heavyweight.

'John Ruiz is a guy who was beaten by Roy Jones. It is when you start talking about the Klitschkos, they are totally different fights.

'They are guys who can box and throw punches. That is when you will see whether Haye can do it at that level. Beating Valuev is not the yardstick.'

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.

He seemed to be cruising to a clear victory - with two of the judges awarding him the win by four rounds but the other somehow 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.

The new champion explained: 'I knew it was the last round.

'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 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.

The dethroned champion sadi: 'One thing went wrong today from my point of view - it was like a marathon.

'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.'