(CNN) -- Newly-crowned heavyweight champion David Haye can be the new Muhammad Ali of world boxing according to leading promoter Richard Schaefer.
The charismatic Haye fought a clever tactical fight to overcome giant Russian Nikolai Valuev on points and will now face American John Ruiz as a mandatory defense of the title.
After that fight Haye will set his eyes set on a bout with either IBF and WBO champion Wladimir Klitschko or his brother Vitali, the WBC champion.
And Schaefer, the chief executive of Golden Boy Promotions who promotes Haye in the U.S. is also confident that a fight between Haye and the Klitschkos would have massive appeal.
Blog: Goliath out-thought by wily David
"The last champ like him was Ali. Now we have someone to capture the imagination," Schaefer said.
"When you think back, Ali was able to do that -- not just of sport fans, but people all over the world. David has those same ingredients.
"You think back and Lennox Lewis was a great champion but he was not as charismatic as David. Evander Holyfield was a great champion but was not as charismatic as David.
"Mike Tyson was a great champion but he was a crazy guy. People watched more because of the freak factor rather than the sport factor.
"Our hopes and prayers have been answered, the heavyweight division has a new charismatic champion and a fight against either of the Klitschko would be a global event."
There is already speculation that Haye could face Ruiz at Wembley Stadium or the 02 Arena in London and the 29-year-old Briton revealed that he has nothing to fear from Ruiz, who had stepped aside to allow the bout against Valuev to take place.
"I feel I will knockout John Ruiz after beating someone that tall," Haye told reporters following his return from the fight in Nuremberg.
"Someone who is a foot shorter and the same weight as me, it will feel like another cruiserweight fight. Ruiz is a good fighter, very under-rated. I don't feel I'd struggle with him in any way, though.
"He's pretty much the same size as me and I think I'd just be way too fast and knock him out.
"He's not the most entertaining of former champions but he's won championships on several occasions, and you don't do that through being a bad fighter."
Haye, who is Britain's first heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis's retirement in 2003, is confident that when he has dispatched with Ruiz he can look to unify the belts in the heavyweight division against the Klitschko brothers.
He continued: "This is the start of big things to come. Valuev felt like the best chin in the world in any weight division and I know there are a few other big guys around who won't be able to take that sort of punishment.
"I'm looking forward to cleaning up the division. I want anyone who has got a belt, that's why I moved up to heavyweight."
