Jack Catterall has discussed how he coped with a two-year wait for his rematch with Josh Taylor, but thinks he is the better fighter.
The pair fought in February 2021 and many thought that Catterall had done enough to defeat the undisputed super lightweight champion.
However the judges thought otherwise, and injury and other obligations - such as last year’s loss to Teofimo Lopez for Taylor - have got in the way of their second fight.
The pair have traded barbs ever since, and on April 27 the pair will run it back in Leeds, live on DAZN.
Discussing the long delay and public attention, he told BoxingScene.com: “I don’t go out much. I’m fortunate that all I do is go to the gym and spend time with my family and they all know what the crack is.
“If I do go out, yeah, I do get asked. Well, it’s a fight I always believed would happen. It’s took two years but it’s here now and I can focus on it.”
He acknowledged how tough it was to deal with the controversial result, saying: “In the immediate aftermath it was frustrating.
“I couldn’t change anything though apart from getting back in the gym and striving to be better. It was frustrating. I’ve moved on though. I’ve had two good wins which have put me in a better place.
"It’s frustrating not having the world titles and kind of rebuilding but that’s what I got dealt. At the same time – and he must get it too – it’s not just me but my coaches; my team; my manager. We’re always getting asked about this fight. People are calling for it. Now it’s more of a big relief that it's done.”
He continued: “Honestly, hand on heart I can’t see anything that he does better.
“I do believe that he’s touched the ceiling and he’s coming back down now. I’ll prepare for the best version of him. The version that picked up undisputed, but – honestly – I can’t see anything that he does better than me.”
Live on DAZN: Haney vs. Garcia on April 20. Click here for details.