Before a punch has been thrown Chris van Heerden has decided to take a shot at Conor Benn.
The two welterweights fight one another in Manchester on Saturday night with the South African viewed by many as merely a stepping-stone to greater things for Benn.
However, van Heerden has dismissed Benn’s fighting abilities and sees Saturday night as the moment that people will realise how good ‘The Heat’ is.
“I’m a much better boxer than Conor Benn,” said van Heerden in a Matchroom press release.
“In my opinion Conor is an emotional, angry fighter. He relies on his power. He cannot box with me. He’s not a boxer. He’s a power puncher and I don’t rate him as a boxer. That’s why I’m saying he’s a very emotional, angry type of fighter in my opinion.
“They see it as a stepping-stone fight for Conor, but I see it as a coming out fight for me. This is where I shine and people say, ‘wow where has this kid been?’”