Former super-middleweight champion Chris Eubank hopes David Haye has taken 'punishment' in the gym to prepare for his clash with Russian giant Nikolai Valuev.

Many people believe stamina is what Haye needs to overcome the challenge, but the super-middleweight champion hopes he has done plenty of sparring with big enough men ahead of the bout in Nuremberg on Saturday night.

Valuev will be anything up to seven stones heavier when the pair come together but one of Britain's most unorthodox fighters of recent times believes good old fashioned preparation may prove to be the decisive factor.

"The fact is you must have already done the work," he told Sky Sports' Countdown Show.

"And the work is taking a great deal of punishment in the ring.

"If you haven't, the outcome is going to be tough for you - it is not going to come out on the right side of good for you."

Danny Watts, who is 6ft 7in, and Julius Long, who is 7ft 1in, are among the men he worked with before leaving London for Germany on Monday.

Eubank has spoken to Haye himself, like Lennox Lewis, and is just hoping that the no pain, no gain message got through.

"I hope I spoke to you in time," he said.

"I hope you knew what you had to do and I hope you've really paid that price."