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Nikolai Valuev´s third defense of his WBA belt will certainly be a special one. His meeting with Jameel McCline (Jan. 20) is not just the first-ever heavyweight title fight on Swiss soil but also the "biggest" championship in the history of boxing.
"Almost 600 pounds will be in the ring," manager Wilfried Sauerland said. "The new year kicks off with a true boxing highlight."
While the Russian Giant (45-0, 33 KOs), the tallest and heaviest champion of all time, is likely to weigh in around the 330-pound-mark, McCline normally puts up around 265 pounds in weight. The bout in Basle will be a completely new challenge for either fighter - even for Valuev.
"This will be a very tough fight for me because Jameel cannot be compared to any of my previous opponents," Valuev said at a press conference in Basle. "Not in terms of height, not in terms of weight and not in terms of experience. I will be training harder than ever."
The unbeaten Russian, who retained his crown with a TKO victory over Monte Barrett last October, will travel from St. Petersburg to Berlin next week. "I have been working out for several weeks now and will begin sparring in Berlin," he said. "I am really looking forward to fighting in Switzerland."
McCline (38-6, 23 KOs) is grateful to get a third shot at the world title after coming up short against Wladimir Klitschko and Chris Byrd.
"This is my very last chance," he said in Basle. "I want to thank Sauerland for providing me with this opportunity. I will do best I can to win this fight.
"I think Niko is a great fighter. I have seen lots of his fights on tape. He has set new standards in the heavyweight division.
"It will be difficult for me to find sparring partners that match his height and weight."
The battle of the giants is sure to attract a huge TV crowd. "The TV rights have already been sold in over 50 countries," Kalle Sauerland of Kentaro Group said. "We expect the fight to be aired in 70 countries on five continents."
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