David Haye will make the first defense of his WBA world heavyweight against John Ruiz in Manchester on April 3.
The 29-year-old British fighter, also a former world cruiserweight champion, won the heavyweight crown from Russia’s Nikolai Valuev in November in Germany.
Haye will now face Ruiz, the WBA’s No. 1 contender and former champion, at Manchester’s MEN Arena.
The 38-year-old American fighter didn’t show up at Tuesday’s news conference to announce the fight.
“We paid for his first class tickets over here, a great hotel and tried to accommodate him as best as possible,” Haye said. “He didn’t get on the flight. I don’t know what his reason is.”
Ruiz said in a TV interview that he was still in training in Las Vegas and couldn’t make the long trip.
“I apologize for not being there,” he said. “It’s an important fight in my career. I have been there [England] six times and it worked out good for me and I’m looking forward to going back.”
Haye has known since he beat Valuev on Nov. 7 in Nuremberg that he would have to fight Ruiz. He predicted on Tuesday he would become only the second fighter in 55 contests to knock the durable challenger out.
“I will not only beat him but beat him spectacularly and knock him out,” Haye said. “I’m looking forward to getting back to what I do best — to throwing my trademark ‘Hayemakers.’ Ruiz is a come-forward fighter so I aim to get at him, break him down, and take him out in good style.”
A powerful puncher but with a shaky defense, Haye believes his attacking style will be too much for the experienced Ruiz. The American has fought some of the biggest names in the heavyweight division including three fights with Evander Holyfield, recording one win, one loss and a draw. Haye will be wary of his punching power.
“John Ruiz managed to knock down Evander Holyfield not long after Lennox Lewis had 24 rounds to try to do that and he was not able to knock him down,” Haye said. “Mike Tyson couldn’t knock Holyfield down but Ruiz could. He’s got some power there and, if I leave my chin hanging out, I could come unstuck.”
Haye won a majority decision over Valuev by staying out of reach of the huge Russian’s sporadic punches in Nuremberg on Nov. 7. He hopes to be on the offensive against the unspectacular Ruiz, whose style is to wear down his opponents.
“Everyone knows I had to go to Germany to take the title away from Nikolai Valuev,” Haye said. “Now it’s time to showcase my skills again in front of the great British public.”
The British fighter described Ruiz as a boring personality whose boxing style was “a cure for insomnia.” Ruiz countered by saying Haye’s fight with Valuev was even more boring.
“That’s like throwing rocks in a glass house when he’s living in one,” Ruiz said. “In his last fight with Valuev, how many punches did he throw, 10 a round? How is that calling me boring?”
Ruiz said he would try to maneuver Haye into the corners and then throw punches.
“David Haye is a quick guy and moves to escape a lot of punches,” he said. “That’s my main focus, to virtually stay on top of him. I will bring the fight to him and make him fight my fight.”
“It has to be close and personal. He loves to move. That’s his main weapon. I have to corner him,” Ruiz said.
Haye’s goal eventually is to unify the titles by beating the Klitschko brothers, Vitali and Wladimir, who hold the WBC, IBF and WBO titles between them.
Haye has won 23 of his 24 fights, 21 by knockout. Ruiz, who held and lost the WBA title twice, has won 44 of his 54 contests with eight defeats, one draw and one no contest. Two of his defeats were to Valuev, and he was also beaten by Roy Jones Jr.
Seven of Ruiz’s losses were on points but he was knocked out in the first round by David Tua in March 1996.
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