Kane Baker has denied that he is too emotionally invested in the prospect of fighting his super-featherweight rival Aqib Fiaz.
The pair are set to fight on Sunday 4 October as part of the undercard of Joshua Buatsi vs. Marko Calic event.
The pair were due to meet during Eddie Hearn’s Fight Camp series during the coronavirus lockdown, but the 21-year-old Diaz was withdrawn from the fight by his camp due to fitness issues.
Baker explained the stresses that led to an outburst against Fiaz were partly unrelated to the failure to get a fight.
“It was an emotional week for me really," said Baker. "My older brothers were on the phone to me while I was in the bubble. I had to say my goodbyes to their dad before he had his life support machine turned off which was weird, hard and very upsetting for me. He was looking forward to watching my fight.
“There's been a lot going around about me being emotional and emotionally attached to Fiaz. I was more emotionally attached to fighting in Eddie’s garden. I also had emotions in my personal life. I had a little rant after the fight was pulled and I don’t know how that came across because I was a bit emotional.
"I thought to myself, ‘s—, I hope I haven’t let myself down by being a bit emotional, upset and angry’. I had a bit of a rant at him which was all just in the heat of the moment. When Jamie Moore said I was emotionally attached to the Aqib Fiaz fight, he was wrong, it was 100 percent nothing to do with Fiaz.”
Baker levelled an accusation that Fiaz was getting preferential treatment by being allowed another chance to take part in the fight.
"Fiaz has got the chance to come again, but I’ll tell you now, if I wasn’t well and I pulled out of the fight, I wouldn’t be sat here today getting my chance again. That’s a fact. I’ve had a lot of people message me, there’s more support for me out there now after what happened.
"I’ve heard that he did a lot of that kind of thing in the amateurs, missing weight. He had things his own way in the amateurs and if he wasn’t ready to fight then the fights got pulled. He’s known for it. This is what I’ve been told. I know in my heart of hearts what I believe."
Fiaz remains undefeated after dropping out of the cancelled fight, and Baker is determined to end that unblemished record.
“I’m absolutely buzzing it's back on,” he said.
“Matchroom and Eddie Hearn stuck to their word. It was a hard wait waiting for the new date but they stuck to their word and I’m back out again. I’m in the same position, but there’s much more interest in the fight this time.
"I’m ready to go straight away. We know the tactics and the plan. It could all go out of the window, and I could just go back to all I know which is having a good tear up! Either way, this fight is going to get 110 percent of me.
"I’m going to leave everything in that ring. I know the job at hand. I’m not going to lose sleep over it. I know what I’ve got to do. I know my strengths, and I’m going to show them on Sunday. That should be enough. Aqib, please turn up, mate!"