By Mark Vester
David Haye's goal is to become the greatest British heavyweight since Lennox Lewis. he views this coming Saturday's challenge of WBA champion Nikolai Valuev as the first step to emulating the path of Lewis. He views Lewis as the best heavyweight in the history of British boxing. He knows the road to be mentioned in the same breath as Lewis will be a long and hard journey.
“What Lennox achieved in the ring was incredible and I’ve got a long way to go before I’m even mentioned in the same breath as him,” said Haye to The Daily Express. “Lennox beat some of the greats in Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson and although he lost twice he avenged both those defeats.
“He’s the best heavyweight fighter we’ve ever produced, bar none. On his day he could have beaten any heavyweight in the history of the sport, even Muhammad Ali. If Lennox had a good night and Ali a bad one he could have beaten him. There is nobody Lennox could not have beaten on a good night."
He says the first step is to beat Valuev, then he needs to beat the other champions - Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko.
“In order for me to be even mentioned alongside Lennox I’ll have to beat Valuev, which I will do, then beat the Klitschko brothers and then defend my crown for at least a couple of years. Only then could I even claim to be up there with Lennox, but obviously that’s my ultimate aim.”
Haye has cracked plenty of jokes and insults on Valuev, but he admits the 7'2 giant is actually a good fighter. He won't overlook Valuev size and strenght.
“I’ve got to use my superior speed and hand speed to get the better of Valuev, but I’m not kidding myself, he’s a very good fighter. But I hit from angles he can only dream of and I have to use that ability to slip and move to my advantage. Of course it’s a gamble, every fight is a gamble,” said Haye. “I just felt from the minute my team discussed facing Valuev that I’d beat him and I believe that even more.”
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