Paddy Donovan has promised to beat Lewis Crocker "in front of your own town" when the pair meet in all-Irish world title eliminator in Belfast this weekend.
Hometown fighter Crocker (20-0, 11 KOs) and Limerick's Donovan (14-0, 11 KOs) face off at the SSE Arena on Saturday night, with the prize of becoming mandatory challenger to IBF welterweight champion Jaron Ennis.
"I'm going to beat you Lewis," Donovan said in a joint-interview released today. "I'm going to beat you down in front of your own town.
"It doesn't really matter where it is. We're going to fight. There's going to be amazing support for Lewis. There's going to be amazing support for me here in Belfast. The main thing is we're going to fight each other and we're going to put on a show.
"If Lewis is favourite here in Belfast then well on him, but I like the feeling of being an underdog.
"We're the two best welterweights probably in the last 20 or 30 years in Ireland. The two of us on the line for a world title eliminator - it's really big."
Both men are unbeaten, though Donovan, two years younger at 26, has taken a more direct route to this stage. Something he was not shy at reminding his opponent about.
"Who's got the better record, who's been in with the better fighters?" he asked. "Me. I'm high level. High level gets Lewis Ritson and these guys out of there.
"In your 16th fight you fought a guy [Octavian Gratii] with 40 losses. 40 losses. If I had 16 fights where would I be?
"You've one or two fights and you've had your little breakthrough and you've had your limelight but I'm going to take that away on March 1st."
"I think he's a high level British fighter. He's not world level. He's not there yet. I think he can be but just not right now. It's my time. I am the man."
Crocker, however, believes his top-bill experience and punching power can carry the day, despite Donovan having a higher ratio of knock-out wins (78%:55%).
"I always said that [Donovan could become a world champion]. But I just don't think it's his time right now.
"This is his first time headlining. This will be my sixth.
"I believe I'm the naturally heavy-handed guy. I think Paddy possesses great accuracy with his shots. Some of the guys I've fought have not been stopped before When I was 10-0 or something, I had seven knockouts, but once you start progressing and fighting the tougher guys and the harder guys...
"The best thing that ever happened to me was going the distance a few times because it stands by you in these fights.
"I've accepted Paddy is good from the get go. So I'll be ready.
"I want you to have a war. I believe I put you out of there."
