Excitement is rising as Billy Joe Saunders' long awaited clash with Saul Canelo Alvarez moves closer - and the Hatfield man is taking things very seriously.
The WBO world super-middleweight champion has been wanting to lock horns with the Mexican superstar for years and the pair will finally come together on May 8 at a sold-out AT&T Stadium in Texas, with 70,000 people in attendance.
And displaying a steely-eyed determination not always evident in previous build-ups, the 31 year-old says the way to beat Alvarez is clear.
"By being Billy Joe Saunders," he told an e-press conference on Matchroom Boxing's YouTube channel.
"I respect every fighter who gets in the ring but there’s no-one I put myself beneath or above. We’re all equal as humans.
"I'm already hearing about his plans but I plan to put a spanner in the works. Like with any other champion I’ve fought, they have to beat me first.
"Moving isn’t key, being cleverer and thinking about where you move is more key in this fight.
"My movement does help of course because if one of those bombs is coming, I need to move out of the way.
"We’ll see what happens but he’s the most devastating puncher on the planet and the most fearsome man.
"We’ll see when the bell goes."
Saunders is putting his belt on the line, as well as his 30-match undefeated record, but he is coming up against someone who promoter Eddie Hearn calls the "the pound for pound number one".
Alvarez, already the WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine world champion, has dreams of becoming the undisputed 168lb champion and is confident, despite Saunders' ability, of making that happen.
The 30-year-old, who boasts a 55-win record in said: "It’s really important for me to make history and these fights are very important towards what I want to achieve in boxing.
"He’s a fast fighter who moves a lot and a lefty, a difficult opponent, but at this level I have to adapt to any style but I’m ready [for it] and ready to make history, that’s the only thing going through my head.
"I really feel like I’m in my prime and I’m training at 100 per cent as always to reach my goals."
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