Junior Witter's long road towards acceptance as the world's number one light-welterweight continues in Nottingham tomorrow night when he puts his WBC title on the line against unbeaten American Timothy Bradley.
The 34-year-old from Bradford knows he cannot afford to look anything other than impressive in a bout being broadcast on both sides of the Atlantic if he is to increase the public clamour for a showdown with Ricky Hatton.
Witter has not fought since a career-best seventh round stoppage of former world champion Vivian Harris last September and can expect another true test against the fast and skilful Bradley.
Witter said: "I think the Hatton fight will happen. There's that much of a demand for it in the UK and across the boxing world. It has come to the stage where the pressure is on Hatton to take the fight.
"But nothing is going to change the way I fight. I'm focused on what I'm doing and I know it's an opportunity to show the world what I can do, and reinforce the fact that I'm the best light-welterweight out there."
Witter has come a long way since his first world title challenge which saw him step in at short notice and produce an overly negative display against then champion Zab Judah at Hampden Park in 2000.
The manner of that defeat saw him frozen out for a number of years but it is a sign of his new-found credibility that Witter is now on the Home Box Office-approved list of prospective future pay-per-view opponents for Hatton.
"No-one wanted to give me a shot after the Judah fight because they realised I was good and managed to find ways to avoid me," added Witter. "But I did everything I had to do. I took the long road because it was the only one left."
Hatton, who faces Juan Lazcano in a homecoming contest at the City of Manchester Stadium later this month, has frequently reiterated his intention to avoid Witter, largely for personal reasons.
But Witter knows that as long as he continues to impress as the senior belt holder in his division, Hatton is going to need him in order to enhance his own claims of dominance back down at 140lbs.
Quality contests such as this bout against Bradley are exactly what Witter needs. Whilst relatively untested, flashy Bradley is approaching his peak and ended the 19-fight unbeaten record of Miguel Vazquez last time out.
Lauded as one of the top prospects coming out of the United States, Bradley had no qualms about coming to Britain to further his career and, he believes, to gatecrash the world title scene.
Bradley said: "Junior is not the same fighter he was eight years ago. He is at the top of his game and I feel I am in my prime right now. Witter has got something I want and I am coming to get it.
"I am at the peak of my career. I've been working hard over the last three years to get to this point. I've had some tough fights which have prepared me for this. I'm ready to move on to the next stage."
Bradley is certainly expected to give Witter a test. But if the Bradford man can reproduce the form that swept him past Harris in such sensational fashion last time out, he can score another stoppage in the second half of the fight.
Also on the bill, Nottingham super-middleweight Carl Froch will bid to keep focused on an imminent crack at the WBC super-middleweight title with victory over late replacement Albert Rybacki.
Froch has already been installed as the top contender for the title likely to be vacated soon by Joe Calzaghe, and would have been hoping for a much sterner test in front of his home-town fans.
But after withdrawals by Denis Inkin, Alejandro Berrio and Rubin Williams, Froch will face a 37-year-old who, although unbeaten in 15 fights, has never fought with anything approaching his opponent's class.
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