David Haye immediately set his sights on a "mega showdown" with Vitali Klitschko after being crowned as the new WBA heavyweight champion despite having to fulfil a mandatory defence against John Ruiz.

Haye became the first British heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis with a majority points decision over “The Beast from the East” Nikolai Valuev in Nuremberg, Germany on Saturday.

The 29-year-old Londoner now faces a mandatory defence against Ruiz while Klitschko, the WBC champion, steps into the ring with American Kevin Johnson on December 12 in Berne.

But both men are angling for a unification clash in 2010. "Let's bring it on and make it happen. I have got to get John Ruiz out of the way and then we can get a mega showdown next year," Haye told BBC Radio Five Live.

Klitschko claimed on Sunday morning that he would fight Haye "at any time and knock him out".
 
The Ukrainian said: "Full congratulations [to Haye]. It was a good performance, a good points win. It was very close.
 
"It is a good fight for the future, maybe. I am ready to fight anyone in the world. I am ready to show to everyone I am the strongest in the world."

Haye celebrated his victory into the small hours after achieving a life-long ambition to become world champion.