At the official press conference Thursday before the April 14 bout in Stuttgart, Germany, the 33-year-old WBA belt holder said, "We started [practicing] right after the fight against McCline," and adding that "We really took a lot of time. I am in perfect shape and ready."
Valuyev's co-promoter Don King said at the conference that there should be no doubts at all over the Russian giant's chances for victory.
"It's going to be a great fight," King said. "Chagayev is a formidable challenger but there is no question that Nikolai will win. He is the eighth wonder of the world. He is a giant with a giant heart."
Chagayev, 28, said that he was not worrying about the 11-inch height difference with the Russian seven-foot giant.
"Big or small - that does not matter. I have the ambition to become world champion. It will be a tough fight but I want to win," BoxingScene website quoted Chagayev as saying.
The Uzbek boxer said earlier the fight with an opponent like Valuyev, who is only a few steps behind the record of legendary Rocky Marciano (retiring at 49-0 as boxing's only ever undefeated heavyweight champion), will definitely cause problems, but he was training hard with sparring opponents, who physically resemble the Russian boxer.
