Justis Huni was "mentally all over the place", fuelled by junk food and, enduring elbow pain, only able to hit pool noodles in training before his last overseas fight.
The Australian heavyweight boxer (12-0) still beat Kevin Lerena, who was 30-2, in Riyadh last March.
But he and his camp knew things had to change.
Since then he's made the tough call to bench father and mentor Rocki, embrace the full-time return of coach Mark Wilson, overhaul his diet, surgically repair his arm and notch three convincing domestic victories.
The 26-year-old will start as a heavy underdog in his interim WBA world title fight with local Ipswich favourite Fabio Wardley in the United Kingdom on Sunday AEST).
Huni has been in Ipswich for almost a month ahead of the Portman Road stadium clash and his manager Mick Francis, who signed him as a prodigious amateur in 2017, reckons he's a new man.
"He went into that Lerena fight at 30 per cent," Francis told AAP.
"He wasn't fit, mentally all over the place, starting a new style.
"His diet was atrocious; I couldn't believe the food he was eating over there, even the night before fight night.
"And he had three chipped bones in his elbow. He couldn't even hit pads, was hitting noodles and couldn't spar."
Huni accepted the challenge against Wardley on barely one month's notice after Jarrell Miller was injured, the victor just two wins away from attaining undisputed heavyweight world champion status.
"This is his biggest test to date," Francis said.
"He's going into the lion's den, Wardley's a cult hero in Ipswich. It's a big town, but not a lot goes on there so they'll all turn out for it.
"But if he does what he's been training to do - moves, stays out of trouble - I think he'll box his ears off."
Huni will fight just hours before Tasman Fighters stablemate Jai Opetaia defends his cruiserweight world title belts on the Gold Coast.
Francis, a former rugby league professional, signed the pair as his first two talents eight years ago.
"I'm just so proud of both guys," he said.
"They've both had their battles. Now for both, my first two I ever signed, to be fighting for world titles on the same day, it's mind-blowing.
"I went into this sport without much boxing knowledge, just passion.
"We were paying amateurs $1000 a round to get in the ring with Justis.
"It's been a struggle the whole way through but their families asked me to help them out and one thing led to another."
