Undefeated Elgin welterweight Andrew Smart is targeting a knockout win to claim the Scottish title in Aberdeen.
The 29-year-old will face Robbie Graham in a top-of-the-bill clash at the Ardoe House Hotel and Spa on Saturday.
Smart boasts a flawless professional record of six wins from six bouts ahead of the biggest fight of his career.
Edinburgh-based Graham, 28, also has an unblemished return of four wins from four fights.
Something has to give.
The 10-round clash clash is the culmination of the “Last Man Standing” format where boxers fought for the right to compete for the national title.
Smart said: “My training camp went well with a lot of good sparring, so if it needs to go 10 rounds, I will.
“However, I want to get him out of there earlier.
“This is the biggest fight of my career.
“This is my shot at the title and I am 100% confident I will go in there and do the business.
“Winning the title would be the best thing I have ever done in boxing.”
‘I am superior on all levels’
In the “Last Man Standing” format, four boxers put their undefeated records on the line for a shot at the national belt.
Smart overcame Paul Deas 57-56 at the Ice Centre, Inverness, last September to secure his place in the title showdown.
Opponent Graham overcame Kyle Boyd 58-56 in Paisley the following month.
With his title slot already confirmed, Smart was at the clash where his opponent would be confirmed.
Having watched Graham in action in the semi-final, the Elgin welterweight is confident he possesses the stronger ring craft.
Smart said: “I expect Graham to be fit as by all accounts he has been putting the work in.
“Skill-wise and boxing-wise, I think I am superior.
“I have a good amateur background and I’m well schooled, whereas he doesn’t really have an amateur background.
“I went to watch his semi-final and have also watched a couple of his fights online.
“From what I have seen, he is a bit ragged, gets a little wild sometimes and leaves himself exposed.”
Frustration at Elgin cancellation
The title clash was initially scheduled for a homecoming show at Elgin Town Hall last December.
However, the bout was postponed.
Smart admits he was “gutted” to miss out on the opportunity to lift the national belt in front of his fans in his home town.
It could have been an historic boxing double for the town as Elgin’s Fraser Wilkinson, 22, won the vacant Scottish super-welterweight title on the bill.
Elgin’s Wilkinson overcame Corey McCulloch 99-91 to claim the national belt.
Smart quickly shrugged off the disappointment of the postponement to focus on the rescheduled date.
He said: “After the cancellation I was really gutted and took a week or so before then carried on the training camp.
“It would have been huge because Fraser Wilkinson was fighting for a title as well.
“It would have been a Scottish title double-header for two Elgin guys, but it wasn’t to be.
“The frustrating thing is if they do another show in Elgin, it will never be as big as that was.”
Conversation