• Boxing

Haye preparing for the worst in his war against Ruiz

David Haye won the WBA title from Nikolai Valuev in November 2009 © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Haye weighs in heavier than ever to KO Ruiz
  
• News: Haye vows to beat Ruiz "within an inch of his life"
  
• News: Ruiz laughs off Haye's attacks
  
• News: Ruiz ready to pounce on Haye
  
• News: Klitschko vows to "mess up" Haye
  
• News: Klitschko focuses on Haye after KOing Chambers
  
• News: Haye wants to retire in 2011 as unified champion
  
• News: Booth warns Haye of Ruiz threat
  
• News: Klitschkos desperate to 'shut up' Haye in 2010 fight
  
• News: David Haye blasts 'boring' Ruiz ahead of title fight
  
• News: Haye not thinking of Klitschko fight
  
• Profile: Vitali Klitschko | Wladimir Klitschko

WBA heavyweight champion David Haye is preparing for the worst when he goes to war with John Ruiz on April 3.

The bout is Haye's first defence of the title he won from Nikolay Valuev in November, and he is expecting Ruiz - a two-time heavyweight champion - to pose a sterner test than Valuev.

"It's going to be harder than the Valuev fight," Haye told Sport magazine. "It's going to be more of a slugfest and I'm expecting to take some abuse in this one, so I'm just preparing my body for the worst.

"I know he's going to come out there, get close and try to rough me up. He comes in real heavy with his head, so I'm expecting to get cut at some stage in this fight. I know it's going to be a real war so that's what I'm preparing for."

Although Haye acknowledged the threat Ruiz will pose, hinting that he expects the fight to be decided by the judges, he was less complimentary when offering his thoughts on the American's career to date.

"His whole career has been boring up to now. I know he's going to be there after 12 rounds, I know I'm going to be there for 12 rounds so you're going to get a really explosive fight. You're going to get fireworks - that's 100%."

Haye has insisted that taking his eye off the ball by looking beyond the Ruiz bout would be fatal to his chances of victory, but he did allow himself to discuss a potential future contest against one - or both - of the Klitschko brothers, who hold all but one of the belts in the heavyweight division.

"They're fights I've wanted for a while and I know [the Klitschkos] want it too, so it will happen sooner or later. After this fight we're going to sit down and try to make it happen, because they're fights everyone wants to see.

"Wladimir's more vulnerable as he's been knocked out a few times - whereas Vitali hasn't. But then Vitali is older and has well documented knee problems, so he's not as mobile as his younger brother, but he's tougher. They're both beatable. The plan is to get John Ruiz out of the way, get the fights with the Klitschko brothers, then unify the titles."

In other news, Antonio Margarito will make his return to the ring against Roberto Garcia in Mexico on May 8.

Three-time world welterweight champion Margarito was discovered with illegal hand wraps prior to his bout with Shane Mosley in January 2009, causing him to be suspended for a year.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.