Scotland fighter Josh Taylor is "100 per cent" confident he can knock out undefeated Regis Prograis during the a super-lightweight unification bout at the O2 Arena on Saturday.
Taylor won the IBF title in his last fight, while Prograis holds the WBA and WBC belts, with this bout also the final of the division's World Boxing Super Series for the Muhammad Ali Trophy.
With an impressive record of 15 wins from 15 fights, including 12 knock-outs, the Edinburgh-born boxer feels he can do the same against Prograis.
FACE OFF 🔥@RPrograis 🆚 @JoshTaylorBoxer 👑 WBA, IBF & Ring Magazine Titles 🏆 @WBSuperSeries #PrograisTaylor #AliTrophy pic.twitter.com/TVdpqyWJjS — Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) October 24, 2019
"One hundred per cent I feel like I can knock him out," said Taylor. "I'm going in there to do a job on Saturday and I really believe I can lay him out cold then and I just want to get in there and get it done there."
The 28-year-old fighter was a Commonwealth Games gold medalist at Glasgow 2014 and has achieved notable victories against Ohara Davies, Miguel Vazguez, Viktor Postol and Ivan Baranchyk, and believes he can add Prograis to the list.
Taylor said: "I'm in the best shape I've ever been in, switched on. I know he's a good fighter, he's a world champion, so all these belts on the line are going to bring out the best of me. So he's going to get it on Saturday night."
New Orleans fighter Prograis insisted he was better than Taylor in every aspect ahead of his first bout in the UK.
The American came over three weeks before the fight to adapt, and said: "The UK fans have been embracing me, I feel like I'm home. I feel like, I'm normal, I'm a home fighter or something.
"It was a great thing for me to come over here in the three weeks because I got adjusted to the time, the weather, the culture, the people, everything. So now I feel like I'm very comfortable here and that's the main reason I came to feel comfortable here."
All set up and ready to go for the @RPrograis 🆚 @JoshTaylorBoxer final presser #AliTrophy 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ThcXqEjJAb — Kalle & Nisse Sauerland (@SauerlandBros) October 24, 2019
When asked about his opponent, Prograis said: "I don't think he's better than me in nothing, but he's good.
"Even before the tournament started I felt like 'Josh Taylor is the best in the world at 140 pounds after me' and I'm going to prove it on Saturday.
"This fight, it won't change nothing."
