Jorge Linares is viewed as the perfect step up in opponent quality for young WBC lightweight champion Devin Haney, but the veteran has every intention of making Haney and his team regret the match-up.
Linares (47-5, 29 KOs) strives to regain the belt he very proudly held between 2014 and 2016 from Haney (25-0, 15 KOs) on May 29, airing live worldwide on DAZN.
Haney intends to prove to doubters he is the real deal with such a big name on his resume, but Linares has no intention of being relegated to gatekeeper any time soon.
“It’s a big fight and a new challenge for me,” Linares told Matchroom Boxing.
“I have a lot of respect for Devin. He’s a young guy, a World champion, but on Saturday the respect goes, and I am ready for an amazing fight, and I hope he’s ready too.
"He knows who he is fighting, a four-time world champion. I have a lot of experience and that’s the most important thing in this fight to win the fight. He doesn’t have that. He has talent, he has youth and hunger, and the belt.
“A fight with me is a different level. I can show so many styles, I’m naturally fast and strong, I don’t have a lot of KOs, but he knows I can punch. I think he will run all night, but I will be waiting for him, I will follow him. If he wants to fight inside, I am ready for him.
"He’s going to have big problems on Saturday night, he knows I can do everything, and he knows I have to timing to put him down.
“I know his style, I trained with him a long time ago in Vegas and we did some sparring. He was a baby then! But he’s a champion now and I hope he’s ready for a tough fight.
“I don’t need to say anything about what he’s said. I just think about myself and what I need to do, not what he says or does. I don’t like to talk too much, I don’t need to talk to get fans or followers or anything, I just need to go out and do my job and put on a great fight.”
Haney vs. Linares airs live on DAZN this Saturday. Click here to subscribe in time for the fight and enjoy brand new daily content, archived fights and so much more live action through the summer.