Jeff Horn is only fighting me for the money, as far as I can tell. I don’t think he’s in it for the fans, or the glory, or the sport. He’s in it to make a few bucks.

I’m in it for the long run.

I’m not too sure when Jeff changed his mindset. He’s done great things in boxing, and good on him, but I don’t think he’s hungry like I am anymore.

He wrote on AthletesVoice that my last name is the only reason I got this fight. Well, every single one of my opponents has said much the same thing and I don’t have to comment on it.

I do my talking in the ring.

At the end of the day, I’ll be the one fighting Jeff. It’s not going to be my last name in front of him, it’s going to be me, and we’ll see who the better man is on the night.

I’m still only 25 years old, at the start of my career, and there are plenty of opportunities waiting for me after this fight. Jeff was a world champion and that’s what I’ve set my sights on.

Each fight is another step forward, towards that, but I’m definitely not overlooking Jeff. I know what he brings to the table and I’m pumped to have this opportunity to train and challenge myself to reach that next level.

I want to showcase what I can do to boxing fans all around the whole world.

‘I’ve got bigger fish to fry’

I’m glad the negotiations are done at last, but I wasn’t too involved to be honest.

While my manager and promoter took care of the business side of things, I was in the gym training for what’s ahead.

In the end, we reached an agreement for a 10-round fight. But if he’s the fighter that he says he is – world-class calibre – wouldn’t you fight for 12 rounds? That’s all that I have to say about that.

10 weeks of training for 10 rounds? I’ve never heard of that. I don’t know what he’s thinking there. And really, it doesn’t matter anyway. We’ve both got to step in the same ring and do a job.

A rematch clause was the other point of contention. I just thought, ‘If you’re so confident and unworried, then don’t put the rematch clause in. Don’t be a sook.’

In the end it was taken out, which suited me just fine, because once I do beat him I’ve got bigger fish to fry. I don’t want to be stuck here in Australia fighting Jeff in a rematch when I’ve got other big opportunities ahead of me.

‘I want Jeff to come out swinging’

I haven’t watched either of Jeff’s fights with Michael Zerafa. At the end of the day, Jeff was the winner in the second and that’s all that matters.

From what I have seen of him, Jeff’s style of fighting is quite similar to a rugby player. He’s awkward and makes his fights unorthodox.

That suits me just fine.

I want to challenge myself against a style I’ve never fought before. I want to reach my full potential, and that comes by fighting as many different opponents and styles as I can, learning from each fight.

That’s why I want to take on the best possible version of Jeff Horn.

I want him to come out swinging against me, on the big stage, in front of a big crowd, because that’s what I live for. That’s what gets me up in the morning, and back to training in the evening.

The thought of it inspires me to train harder, because the actual fight is really just the final round. Most of the contest happens outside the ring, over 10 or 12 weeks of hard work, where you have to push yourself day in, day out.

This fight has become a fresh challenge for me, where I’m implementing different things to take my boxing up a level. I’m learning a lot about myself and who I am as a fighter.

It’s a fun journey to be on.

I’m in this sport to create a legacy and find a purpose in life; to constantly strive to be better than who I was the day before.