Haye closes in on Klitschkos after electrifying demolition of Ruiz

Haye retained his WBA world title with a savage stoppage of heroic challenger John Ruiz, who was rescued by trainer Miguel Diaz with 59 seconds remaining of the ninth round.

It was the first time the durable Ruiz, a former two-time world champion, had fallen inside the distance in 14 years and only his second failure to go the full duration. When his corner eventually intervened he had endured a sickening amount of punishment, visiting the canvas four times before a noisy 20,000 crowd at the MEN Arena.

Showing vicious speed and accuracy, Haye honoured his pledge to ignite the division with a spectacular performance that will have alarmed and encouraged his rivals in equal measure. A lucrative fight with either Vitali or Wladimir Klitschko, who hold the WBC, IBF and WBO belts, is now a question of when, not if.

"My plan now is to unify the division. I'm going after whoever has the belts," said Haye. "My performance against Ruiz was a good one – there were plenty of knockdowns, excitement and drama. That's something the heavyweight division hasn't had in a while, so it's my duty to make the best possible fight and give fans entertainment like this.

"If I hit the Klitschkos with the same shots I was hitting John Ruiz, both of them would go over. I'd like to fight again this year, in October or November. I'd take on the Klitschkos now, no doubt about it. I wouldn't have any qualms about fighting anyone. Look at my career to date – I'll fight anybody and go anywhere."

While Haye dominated Ruiz, the Klitschkos will have seen the ease with which he was hit. Had Ruiz not had the stuffing knocked out of him by a brutal assault in the opening round, he might have made more of the openings.

Haye put his vulnerability down to a cut eye sustained during training that prevented him from sparring for the last four-and-a-half weeks.

"My performance wasn't that great. It was entertaining, good for the crowd," he said. "But technically it wasn't as good as I'd have liked because I was taking way too many shots. The more of these tough fights I have the better I'll become. I'm nowhere near the complete article yet, but I'm on the right road."

Haye's trademark right hand – dubbed the 'Hayemaker' – did the most damage and it was the shot that dumped Ruiz on his backside just 30 seconds into the contest. Ruiz went down for a second time in the same round and faced a count even though Haye had the first of two points deducted for a deliberate punch to the back of the head.

The fourth saw the grizzled 38-year-old American repeatedly succumb to the straight right, while

he was saved by the bell in the sixth and only a reasonable seventh persuaded his corner to allow him to continue.

Having marched forward bravely all night, his relentless, if one-dimensional, pursuit of the slick-moving Haye finally faltered in the ninth. Wincing as Haye's blows landed, he had already taken too many blows although he refused to give in himself.

Ruiz, his face badly swollen, will now consider his future after 18 years as a professional boxer.

"Maybe I've been in this game too long and there comes a point when you have to move on with your life," he said.