FanHouse Nikolay Valuev

LAS VEGAS -- When England's David Haye traveled to Nuremberg, Germany, for his Nov. 7 matchup with 7-foot, 316-pound, Nikolay Valuev, the 218-pounder did so with more support from his own countrymen than the man who is named "The Russian Giant" for his status as the largest champion in the history of boxing.

And when Haye broke his right hand in the second round of an eventual, 12-round majority decision, it was the deafening cheers of his fans that lifted him on the way to dethroning Valuev for the WBA championship.

Former IBF cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek, a winner of eight straight bouts -- six of them by knockout -- will continue his pursuit of heavyweight glory and recognition when he enters the ring on Feb. 6 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., his promoter, Kathy Duva, said on Friday.

Adamek (39-1, 27 knockouts) will go after his second straight heavyweight opponent at the Prudential Center, where the resident of nearby Jersey City routinely packs the stands with his local support.

"It's been a very long time since the boxing public has seen the kind of action in a heavyweight fight that they enjoyed before the super heavyweights who dominate the division these days. When a heavyweight title fight is exciting, it is always the smaller guy in the ring pressing the action," said Duva.

Challenger David Haye did a lot of trash talking before Saturday night's clash with WBA champion Nikolai Valuev. In the end, the smaller man backed up his words.

FanHouse live blogged round-by-round updates of David Haye's majority-decision upset of Nikolay Valuev in of one of the more intriguing heavyweight fights of the year. Valuev had a clear size advantage over Haye, but boxing experts were split on who would come out on top of this one.

Valuev fell to 50-2 in his career (34 knockouts), while Haye improved to 23-1 (21 KOs). We will have a complete wrap-up of this match soon. In the meantime, see how FanHouse scored the fight.

Check out the fight recap after the jump.

David Haye has fists that have earned him the nickname, "The Hayemaker," since only one opponent in 22 victories has gone the distance with him.

But the London resident is known by opponents as much for his verbal taunts and jabs outside of the ring as he is for the actual bombs he throws inside of it.

Haye, for example, once wore T-shirts sporting the decapitated likenesses of the siblings, heavyweight champions Wladimir Klitschko (IBF and WBO) and Vitali Klitschko (WBC), during promotions of scheduled bouts with each that never materialized.

And during the buildup to Saturday's matchup with WBA titlist, Nikolay Valuev, of Russia, Haye's vocal assault on the largest heavyweight champion in history have been equally relentless.

Called by Haye, "a circus freak, a zombie and a robot," the seven-foot Valuev literally steps over the ropes instead of through them because he says "it's easier."

Saturday's heavyweight matchup between seven-foot, WBA champ, Nikolay Valuev, and six-foot-three challenger, David Haye, in Germany has the proverbial makings of a "David vs. Goliath" matchup.

Valuev (50-1, 34 knockouts) weighed more than 310 pounds for his last fight in December, compared to 215 for Haye (22-1, 21 KOs), a rising cruiserweight (200 pounds).

Check out the results (below) of a poll taken from some of boxing's most expert sources for their rationales on just which fighter will emerge victorious.

As England's David Haye prepares to fight Nikolay Valuev for the WBA heavyweight championship on Saturday, the British press is making it out to be a David vs. Goliath tale: At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Haye, the storyline goes, is facing a monumental challenge against Valuev, who's 7 feet tall and 320 pounds.

Russia's Nikolay Valuev, owner of the WBA heavyweight title, is the tallest and largest fighter ever to wear the crown in the division's history at 7 feet and 320 pounds. As such, the native of St. Petersburg literally steps over the ropes rather than through them when he enters the ring.

A product of parents who each stood 5-5, the 36-year-old champion's size -- he stood 6-4 at age 12 -- comes from his ancestors, an Asiatic tribe called the Tartars, according to Valuev's grandmother. Valuev's grandfather was "a giant of a man" named Vasily, she said. "A direct descendant of this warrior race."

At the age of 16, the 6-6 Valuev played for a junior national championship basketball team. When he was 18, Valuev, then 6-9, threw the hammer and tossed the discus, earning a junior national title in the latter when he was 19. Valuev did not become a boxer until he was 20.

In an exclusive interview with FanHouse, Valuev (50-1, 34 knockouts) discusses his interest in literature, his son, Grisha, the Klitschko brothers, and his career and life as heavyweight champion.

If Evander Holyfield wins a Nov. 8 bout in Jeju Island, South Korea, the 46-year-old former four-time champion could position himself for a title fight against World Boxing Council champion Vitali Klitschko, organization president, Jose Sulaiman told FanHouse on Monday night.

"I believe that Evander Holyfield is one of the best heavyweight fighters of the last quarter century," said Sulaiman, adding that the fight would take place on the final day of the WBC's Nov. 1-8 convention in Jeju Island.

"Everybody in China, Korea, Japan and all of Asia, they talk very highly of Evander Holyfield," said Sulaiman. "The convention committee is looking to have him in that fight on the final day of their meetings, and we're looking to help him to get back on track."

The June 20 heavyweight title fight between Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye has been canceled, with Haye saying he won't be able to box because of an injury. Klitschko, however, says he still intends to show up and fight someone on June 20 at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, where around 50,000 tickets have already been sold.