'Russian Giant' Nikolai Valuev (50-2, 34 KOs) said he is ready to fight Ukraine's WBC Heavyweight Champion Vitali Klitschko (40-2, 38 KOs) even for $1.5 million after 'Dr. Ironfist' offended him in an Internet video, BoxingScene.com website reported.
In a video that appeared on the Internet on Thursday, the 38-year-old Ukrainian boxer said "the Russian is afraid to square off with him" urging Valuev "to stop behaving like a child," and stop thinking about money, RIA Novosti reported.
"I accepted the terms of contract and I'm ready to get it on for miserable one and a half million U.S. dollars... I cannot even understand these pathetic accusations. I'm ready to collide with the Ukrainian. If he isn't then, ok. Vitali will continue fighting guys like [Albert] Sosnowski," the website quoted Valuev as saying.
Klitschko team earlier offered Valuev $2.5 million in prize money for the fight, but veteran promoter of the Russian boxer Don King refused saying he wanted $4 million. Late in June, Klitschko said he offered Valuev $1.5 million and the Russian agreed.
Valuev confirmed the sum saying he met Klitschko personally in St. Petersburg, Russia's second largest city, last month and they agreed for the bout in the fall.
Klitschko, who announced in February his plans to abandon professional boxing this year, defended his title recently beating Poland's Albert Sosnowski by a technical knock-out in the 10th round, although the Ukrainian had a significant size and skills advantage over the Polish fighter.