Wales’ featherweight world champion Lee Selby is confident he will take care of business against undefeated contender Josh Warrington in Leeds on Saturday night.
Selby defends his IBF featherweight title at Elland Road, the fifth time the Barry fighter has put his crown on the line.
Selby (26-1, 9 KOs) won the title from Evgeny Gradovich with an eighth-round TKO. He has since made four successful defenses, the latest being a unanimous decision over Eduardo Ramirez last December.
Warrington (26-0, 6 KOs), who will be fighting in his hometown, won the British featherweight title in just his 12th outing in 2012 and the Commonwealth Championship in 2013. He defeated Dennis Ceylan via stoppage in the 10th round in his last outing to earn his shot at the IBF title.
But Selby promised: “This is just another defence for me. It’s another fight. I treat every opponent the same.
“I don’t train for a certain style or a certain opponent. I prepare to get myself right and whatever happens that night, I know I’ve done the best I can to make myself ready.
“Some experts say that his style is going to give me a problem but other experts say his style is tailormade for me. That’s the great thing about boxing. It’s an opinionated sport.
“I’m the world champion and a world champion should be ready and willing to defend his title anywhere in the world. It’s only five hours up the road from where I live so it’s not so much of a lion’s den to me.
“I’m no Muhammad Ali, I can’t predict the round I’m going to win in, but I just see myself winning. If I didn’t, then I shouldn’t be here. If you’re a professional boxer and you don’t have the determination to become a world champion, then you shouldn’t be in the game.
“Having Carl Frampton in attendance won’t be a distraction at all. But if I come out on top on Saturday, he is who I want next. I would want to go straight into that fight in Belfast.
“I’m not going to instigate an argument like he’s been doing. I’m a humble guy. He was running his mouth in the first press conference. Maybe the guys in Leeds want him to win, but the rest of the country is hoping that I win. People dislike him.”
Selby’s trainer Tony Borg said: “Training has been first class. Lee has put everything into it, he doesn’t mess around outside of the gym.
“His life is all boxing. Training has gone perfectly as it always does. I think a lot is being put on how he’s going to deal with this hostile crowd – he’s going to thrive on it, believe me.
“I’m not just confident, I’m 101 percent certain that Lee Selby will go out there and thrive on the hostilities. Josh is very good fighter, but Lee’s an elite fighter. He’s a level above Josh, I believe.”