Ricky Hatton has backed David Haye to succeed him as the standard-bearer of British boxing by knocking Nikolai Valuev out "in sensational fashion" tomorrow night.
Haye will attempt to dethrone the 7ft WBA heavyweight champion Valuev in Nuremberg after moving up from cruiserweight a year ago.
Hatton is still undecided over his own fighting future following his brutal defeat by Manny Pacquiao earlier this year.
But in the 29-year-old Haye, the Mancunian two-weight world champion sees a fighter who can go on to become Britain's most popular boxer.
"Absolutely," he said. "The heavyweight division has always been the biggest [draw] in boxing.
"In recent years it's been a little bit quiet as far as excitement goes but David Haye is a massive introduction to the heavyweight division.
"If there's one thing you think of when it comes to David Haye, it is excitement.
"I think this is the first step on the ladder in the heavyweight division for him. I think he's going to look sensational."
Hatton added: "I think the fans are getting behind him. He had the Monte Barrett fight in London [a year ago] but he had to go abroad to win the cruiserweight titles.
"I was very fortunate that I had fight after fight in this country and in my home town, whereas David has been dotted about here and there and it's been more difficult for him to build up a fanbase.
"But I expect his fanbase to go through the roof after this fight, because I think David will prove that Britain's got a heavyweight that can really go all the way.
"He's got a fantastic fight, his second fight up at heavyweight and he's fighting a giant of a man in Valuev, who is over 7ft tall and 20-plus stone. It's an incredible feat.
"He doesn't want to take too many punches and I think the key in this fight will be the speed factor. As big as Valuev is, as tall as he is, the difference in speed is massive and I think if David boxes a very clever fight, a smart fight and keeps his chin down and boxes sensibly, I don't think Valuev will be quick enough to hit him."
Hatton believes a Haye victory can then resurrect his hopes of a clash with the Klitschko brothers, Vitali and Wladimir, who hold the WBC and IBF/WBO belts respectively.
"David packs a lot of power and I think he can do to Valuev what no one else has done and knock him out in sensational fashion," Hatton said.
"When he does that, he can sit down at the negotiating tables with the Klitschko brothers again and he's got a lot more pulling power then."
Source: guardian.co.uk
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