Anthony Joshua has admitted he has respect for bitter rival Dillian Whyte.
The heavyweight foes clashed in 2015 with Joshua stopping his fellow Londoner in the seventh round.
He has gone on to become heavyweight world champion while Whyte has rebuilt his career and is eager for a rematch.
Indeed the pair had been expected to meet at Wembley last month but Whyte rejected the offer.
Joshua will instead fight Andy Ruiz Jr who himself replaced Jarrell Miller after he failed three drug tests.
A second fight with Whyte remains a possibility however, and Joshua would expect it to go the same way.
"It was hard because that was an emotional fight, that wasn't even about boxing," he told JD Sport.
"He spoke reckless, that was a fight for London, south and north.
"I'd been knocking everyone out so you assume you're going to come in and boom, Dillian is on the floor.
"Some fighters are a different kettle of fish, some of them have a bit of heart.
"Yes, he has improved. You've gotta respect he's consistent.
"The thing I like about Dillian is you don't really see him out clubbing, you don't really see him out partying."
When asked how he'd deal with a rematch he said: "Same way. Who's got the bigger heart?"
Joshua's clash with Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden on June 1 will be his first fight since he KO'd Alexander Povetkin last September.
And the 2012 Olympic champion revealed just how he managed to see off the Rusian.
"You've got to look at the ring and the space that you have," he said. "It's a beautiful space, and it's just about maximising it; what we call it is ring generalship.
"What I did (against Povetkin), I looked on the outskirts rather than staying in the middle and fighting his game.
"It may not be going your way for the first 11 rounds, but in the 12th, if you've stuck in there and adapted, all it takes is one punch.
"Make him make a mistake and catch him with one shot. Boom, heavyweight champion of the world, just like that."
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