Dillian Whyte believes he is on the right track, while rival Anthony Joshua is going backwards.
The two heavyweight Brits clashed in 2015 when Joshua knocked out Whyte at the O2.
But the Body Snatcher, who comes up against Oscar Rivas on Saturday at the same London venue, insists he has come on in leaps and bounds since then.
Whyte said: “When I fought Joshua he was already maxed out I think. He had an Olympic training set-up behind him, so many years behind him and I was just doing my own thing.
“Things have changed now.
“I’ve got a new set-up, I’m incredibly focussed, I’m getting good feedback from my trainers. For Joshua it’s all just muscle memory. He hit his maximum already, so I feel like I’ve probably improved more than him since we last fought.”
Whyte and Colombian Rivas will be looking to win the WBC interim world title, and in turn, a shot at current champ Deontay Wilder, when they clash this weekend.
The 31-year-old Brit, though, isn’t taking his opponent lightly.
He told the Express : “I need to make sure I’m on form, I have to be concentrated, make sure I’ve put in all the work and that I’m doing everything I can do to deal with his speed, his tenacity and his punch output. He’s got a big skillset, loads of experience, he’s a very experienced boxer.
“I take everyone serious and Rivas is a very dangerous guy. It’s stupid to go in the ring and overlook someone who’s so dangerous. I will never do that because I know one punch in heavyweight boxing can put your lights out.”
Whyte’s last outing was in December when he ousted Dereck Chisora with a brutal left-hook in the 11th round. The seven months between then and now is his second-longest period of inactivity since his loss to Joshua.
“Sometimes you need a good rest in boxing. I had a busy 2018, lots of training camps and sparring, loads of rounds being punched in the head,” said Whyte.
Rivas meanwhile is looking to put down his own marker in the the heavyweight division.
The Colombian was turned down by Tyson Fury earlier this year, who deemed him too small for Deontay Wilder rematch preparations.
Now he’s looking to steal Whyte’s long-awaited WBC world title shot from under his nose.
“Until the final bell sounds on the night, nobody knows exactly what’s going to happen,” he said. “I think it’s a very even fight, I don’t see it just being a battle. I will be the last man standing.”
The 32-year-old, who has won all 26 of his contests with 18 coming via knockout, dreams of one day sharing the ring with Joshua.
“I’ve always been somebody who likes challenges in my life, obviously Anthony Joshua is one of the biggest heavyweights around,” he added. “It would be a marvellous opportunity for the future.”
