Big, strong and … quick? Valuev says believe it

Hundreds of descriptions of Nikolai Valuev, the 7-foot, 320-pound WBA heavyweight champion, have been written since he won the title in December 2005.

But in none of them, at least until now, has the word quick appeared.

Valuev, who defends his belt against former Las Vegas resident Ruslan Chagaev (22-0-1, 17 knockouts) today in Stuttgart, Germany, insists he’ll shock his detractors who still think he’s a slow and plodding fighter who has a belt solely because of his size.

“You should expect something you’ve never seen before from me,” said Valuev, 46-0 with 34 knockouts. “I’ll be much quicker. That’s what I’ve concentrated on. My last fight was short, and I had plenty of time to prepare for this one, and I concentrated on making myself quicker. Most of my opponents are smaller and faster, so by getting quicker myself is one way to improve.”

The bout, which will be telecast in the United States on the Madison Square Garden network, figures to be the toughest of Valuev’s career. He hasn’t faced many difficult challenges, but the hard-punching Chagaev defeated former WBA champion John Ruiz more easily than Valuev did when he lifted the title from Ruiz in Berlin.

Promoter Don King said Valuev lacks “that haughty arrogance” that plagues many fighters who aren’t willing to try to improve once they win a championship.

King said he has seen first-hand Valuev’s commitment to improving. Valuev is aware his critics regard him as little more than a carnival sideshow who wouldn’t be champion were he anywhere near normal size, the promoter said.

But King said he has seen Valuev’s passion rise and has witnessed the improvement in the gym.

“He knows he’s not the greatest boxer ever, so he’s doing what I call a little ‘OTJ,’ ” King said. “On-the-job training. The man has asked the greatest experts he could find what he needed to do to get better and then he’s spent the last couple of months doing just that.

“He’s going to shock the world with his (improvement). He’s not the same fighter. He’s gotten better each time I’ve seen him, but nothing like this.”

The card will begin at 1:30 p.m. PDT. MSG is available on DirecTV Channel 621 and Dish Network Channel 412. It is not offered by Cox Communications.