Terence Crawford spoke ahead of his match with Kell Brook to explain how he has come to be one of the most respected boxers on the planet.
The 33-year-old WBO welterweight champion has 36 professional fights to his name after turning professional in 2008 and is yet to taste defeat.
He will face British fighter Brook on Saturday 14 December.
Over 12 years he has perfected a ruthless instinct of when to go for the kill, telling Sky Sports: "Instincts take over and energy levels rise. That's something you are born with.
"I don't think it's something you can teach.
"It's hard to explain that. It's just a feeling you get in your stomach. You have to push a little harder, step to them a little more.
"A lot of boxers have it; that's how we get the knockouts that fans love to see; it's because we can sense a hurt prey when we're on the prowl."
Crawford is known for his versatility, and his power, with 27 of those wins coming by knockout. He considers his varied approach a way of ensuring he achieves victory no matter what.
"My fight style and my mind-set? Do whatever it takes to win a fight. That's it," he said.
"Whether it's out-point them or out-slug them or knocking them out. Do what you've got to do to win the fight."
After a decade in the ring as a pro, he can point to how his game has changed.
“You reach a point where things just slow down inside the ring,” he explained.
"I'm more experienced, more mature. That's how I feel. I'm a totally different fighter to when I started. Better all around — I'm seasoned, stronger, smarter."
Despite his unbeaten record and success across divisions, Crawford is aware that a win against Brook is not a sure thing. He warned against complacency and pointed to Vasiliy Lomachenko’s recent loss against Teofimo Lopez as a cautionary example.
“Strange things happen," he counselled.
"A lot of fights have been difficult for me. They may not look difficult from the outside. But every fighter poses a different threat and they all feel different."
"That's not the first time [Lomachenko] lost. He was already capable of losing.
"I go into the ring knowing that, on any given day, any fighter can lose. I don't carry myself as unbeatable. I just do everything in my power to make sure I don't lose."