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Courtesy of Sportinglife:-
David Haye believes Enzo Maccarinelli should be given home advantage for their world cruiserweight unification bout on March 8 because he "needs all the help he can get".
Contracts for the long-awaited showdown between the 200-pound division's two major world champions were finally signed on Friday, but a venue is yet to be decided.
Maccarinelli was quick to say he would fight wherever Haye wanted, but the Londoner, who holds the WBA and WBC belts compared to the Welshman's WBO title, insists the fight should be held at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
"The fans really wanted this fight, so it would be wrong for me to blow this boy away in 10 seconds," he explained.
"If we go to Cardiff, he will have 50,000 people screaming his name, getting him revved up. It will lift him a few per cent. Maybe that way this fight will last.
"I have no doubt in my mind this guy, Maccarinelli, needs all the help he can get.
"Don't get me wrong, other than me he is the best in the division, but there's a big gap between me, the man recognised as the undisputed champion, and him. It will show."
Irrespective of the location, Haye is anticipating the fight, which will be broadcast exclusively live on Setanta Sports, will not go more than three rounds.
"I would be incredibly surprised if it did," he said.
"We are the biggest pound-for-pound punchers in the world and neither of us have great chins. He has been floored a couple of times, so have I. We have both lost one fight before.
"It will come down to who lands the first clean bomb, and his style is tailor-made for me to exploit.
"He comes in with high hands, a stand-up European fighter, and I keep my hands low with a lot of lateral movement. The last time I fought a guy like Maccarinelli, the guy was called Alexander Gurov and I knocked him out in one round with my right.
"Maccarinelli has to move his hands from his face to throw his big punches and when he does my fast right will knock him on the chin. ****! There goes Maccarinelli."
Earlier, Maccarinelli revealed: "I couldn't care less where the fight is. It could be in Cardiff at the Millennium Stadium with 50,000 people calling for me to knock him out or it could be in his backyard, it doesn't matter.
"When we're in the ring it's going to be him and me and there's no way he's knocking me down."
Much of the pre-fight hype will centre on Haye's decision to shun a heavyweight showdown with former world champion Hasim Rahman and his ensuing struggle to get down to the cruiserweight limit.
Haye, however, says he will not suffer from weight drain.
"It's true, I have to lose a bit of weight to get to the limit, but I've kept in trim. I only have 17 and a half pounds to drop.
"The only way that would become important is if the fight goes eight, nine rounds. This won't. I promise.
"If we can get it on in the Millennium Stadium where more people will see him fall, the better."
Contracts for the long-awaited showdown between the 200-pound division's two major world champions were finally signed on Friday, but a venue is yet to be decided.
Maccarinelli was quick to say he would fight wherever Haye wanted, but the Londoner, who holds the WBA and WBC belts compared to the Welshman's WBO title, insists the fight should be held at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
"The fans really wanted this fight, so it would be wrong for me to blow this boy away in 10 seconds," he explained.
"If we go to Cardiff, he will have 50,000 people screaming his name, getting him revved up. It will lift him a few per cent. Maybe that way this fight will last.
"I have no doubt in my mind this guy, Maccarinelli, needs all the help he can get.
"Don't get me wrong, other than me he is the best in the division, but there's a big gap between me, the man recognised as the undisputed champion, and him. It will show."
Irrespective of the location, Haye is anticipating the fight, which will be broadcast exclusively live on Setanta Sports, will not go more than three rounds.
"I would be incredibly surprised if it did," he said.
"We are the biggest pound-for-pound punchers in the world and neither of us have great chins. He has been floored a couple of times, so have I. We have both lost one fight before.
"It will come down to who lands the first clean bomb, and his style is tailor-made for me to exploit.
"He comes in with high hands, a stand-up European fighter, and I keep my hands low with a lot of lateral movement. The last time I fought a guy like Maccarinelli, the guy was called Alexander Gurov and I knocked him out in one round with my right.
"Maccarinelli has to move his hands from his face to throw his big punches and when he does my fast right will knock him on the chin. ****! There goes Maccarinelli."
Earlier, Maccarinelli revealed: "I couldn't care less where the fight is. It could be in Cardiff at the Millennium Stadium with 50,000 people calling for me to knock him out or it could be in his backyard, it doesn't matter.
"When we're in the ring it's going to be him and me and there's no way he's knocking me down."
Much of the pre-fight hype will centre on Haye's decision to shun a heavyweight showdown with former world champion Hasim Rahman and his ensuing struggle to get down to the cruiserweight limit.
Haye, however, says he will not suffer from weight drain.
"It's true, I have to lose a bit of weight to get to the limit, but I've kept in trim. I only have 17 and a half pounds to drop.
"The only way that would become important is if the fight goes eight, nine rounds. This won't. I promise.
"If we can get it on in the Millennium Stadium where more people will see him fall, the better."
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