By Mark Vester
WBA heavyweight champion David Haye is ready to become the next major superstar of the UK. With Ricky Hatton close to announcing his retirement, Haye wants to take his crown as the king of UK boxing. Haye plans to make a statement when he faces John Ruiz at the MEN Arena in April. He says the title defense against Ruiz at MEN is the first step in becoming the man to take Hatton's spot.
"I'm here for the big occasions," said Haye to the Manchester Evening News. "I want to unify the heavyweight title and be recognised as the best. A lot more people know who I am now. People on the street. People who didn't know who I was before, now they are all supporting me. I've had big fights before, but that was the one that really captured the public's attention. It was covered worldwide. It was massive news."
"The MEN has seen great fighters. They've watched Ricky, Joe Calzaghe and Mike Tyson all perform there. I want to add to that. I could have gone to America, but I've got a lot of fights left in me and I didn't want to dart off at the first opportunity. I'm a British world heavyweight champion. I want to bring the title back to the UK."
During his interview, Haye praised Hatton for having a very lucrative career. He says Hatton has nothing to be ashamed of. He was beaten by two fighters during his entire career, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr, who are considered the two best fighters in the world. A heavy underdog in the fight, Hatton pulled off the upset to stop and retire Kostya Tszyu in 2005.
"He's given British boxing and Manchester some great nights of entertainment," said Haye. "He was only beaten by two of the greatest fighters of their generation and when he beat Kostya Tszyu, he was considered by many to be the best pound for pound in the world. So he can say he beat the best.
"A lot of the time boxers have to carry on for financial reasons, but Ricky has been very clever with his money and has a good team around him."
Send News Tips and Comments To Mark Vester @ boxingvester@gmail.com
