Haye out to grow in stature

David Haye might be forgiven if he considers throwing punches in York Hall to be a bit of a comedown tonight.

The historic venue in the heart of London's East End is the traditional home of British boxing, but it cannot compete with certain attractions to be found at Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion in the swanky Bel Air district of Los Angeles, where Haye last laced up the gloves three weeks ago.

The hard-punching prospect was invited to appear on the undercard of a bill fighting in a ring set up in the grounds of Hefner's lavish home. And it was an eye-opening experience in more ways than one.

Haye said: "It was a real treat. Yes, there were certain distractions but I stayed focused. It made me feel like a world champion, so I performed like a world champion."

It took the London cruiserweight just 54 seconds to stop Kansas City's Vance Wynn and claim his fifth straight win as a professional.

And Haye, who is signed to the Lion Promotions company headed by world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, is keen to get the job done against journeyman Greg Scott-Briggs tonight in Bethnal Green. He said: "I don't see it as being a competitive fight."