David Haye believes the "freak show" element of tonight's WBA heavyweight title clash with Russian giant Nikolai Valuev has really captured the public's imagination.

The size of the task facing Haye was brought into sharp focus on Friday as champion Nikolai Valuev weighed in a daunting seven stone heavier than the Englishman.

Haye will tonight attempt to take Valuev's belt in Germany to become the first British fighter since Lennox Lewis to hold a version of the world title.

While the size difference between 6ft 3in Haye and 7ft 2in Valuev has always been clear, the weigh-in in Nuremberg hammered home the fact emphatically as Haye weighed in at a career-high 15st 8lbs only to see his Russian opponent tip the scales at 22st 8lbs.

"It's going to be interesting, even to non-boxing fans," Haye (22-1, 21KOs) said. "People like a freak show and it's like something you would see in WWE, not something you would see in a real boxing match. That has really captured the public's imagination.

"I can't afford to get hit with silly shots because a little shot from him is probably harder than anything I've been hit with before. So I've got to be razor-sharp, my defence has got to be impeccable and I've got to be throwing big, hard shots to get his respect early and break him down."

Valuev has never been floored in 52 fights and has only ever been beaten once. Haye, 29, has a clear speed and skill advantage over the lumbering but effective 36-year-old. However, with a height difference of nearly a foot and such a deficit in weight, the Briton knows it would be an amazing story should he dethrone the 'Beast From The East' to take the WBA title.

"I've trained so hard throughout the years," Haye continued. "I was the undisputed, unified cruiserweight champion and that's what I want to do at heavyweight. This is my first mission, to go out there and fight this big, hairy, scary 'beast from the east', the so-called eighth wonder of the world, a mammoth of a man.

"It's fairytale stuff. When I envisaged winning the heavyweight title it was against someone big, obviously, but not this big!

"But I feel I've got the skill, the will and the heart to go out there, knock this Russian out and bring this title back to Britain."

Rather than simply outboxing Valuev, Haye seems genuinely prepared to take the fight to the champion, who has 34 knockouts from his 50 wins (with one loss and one no contest). Haye's tiresome bad-mouthing has seemingly failed to get under Valuev's skin in the exhaustive build-up to the fight at the Arena Nurnberger Versicherung.

Asked at the main pre-fight press conference by British media if he planned to make Haye pay for all the taunts and insults, the Russian - who believes his opponent is as disliked in his homeland as he is elsewhere - said: "You'd like to see that, wouldn't you?

"I will do my best and try to to show very good boxing and you'll get what you expect. Maybe some English people expect something special in the ring and I can tell you I will make your expectations happen."