Clinton Woods will rely on the fear factor to overcome home favourite Antonio Tarver in Tampa tonight and secure himself a lucrative light-heavyweight future.
The Sheffield star's improbable journey from durable domestic scrapper to world champion takes him to Tampa's St Pete Times Forum for his fifth IBF title defence.
Woods has worked himself into the best shape of his life for a fight that could open the door to a massive stadium showdown against domestic rival Joe Calzaghe later this year.
And he admitted: "There's obviously nerves there, there's a fear. A fear that I'm fighting a great puncher and a great fighter. But I relish fighting with fear. I think that fear's going to reward me at the end of the night."
Woods maintains he is a much improved fighter to the man who suffered a painful defeat by the great Roy Jones in his first world title challenge in Portland in 2002.
He defied critics who said he would never cut it at the top level by winning the title against Rico Hoye and defending it in style, most notably in superb recent battles with Glen Johnson and Julio Gonzalez.
But now he demands greater rewards and Tarver, the former undisputed champion who holds big wins over Johnson and Jones, can provide his gateway to the really big money.
Woods added: "When I fought Jones I was like a baby. I hope Tarver is expecting the same Clinton Woods to turn up. Now I'm a different fighter - I'm fitter, stronger and much more confident now.
"This is the biggest fight of my career and it will be a massive win for me. It will go down as my greatest victory and I will be the best British light-heavyweight, which is not bad considering where I started."
There is no doubt Tarver in his prime was a fighter who could match his brash proclamations of greatness. But the 39-year-old has looked a spent force in recent fights, not least a dismal points defeat by Bernard Hopkins.
His apparent reluctance to test himself against the division's up-and-coming force, Chad Dawson - who fights Johnson in the co-feature - provides another pointer to Tarver's mindset, although the Floridian would never let you know it.
Tarver said: "The bottom line is I'm the best and I'm going to prove it. When I become undisputed champion, I'm looking to go out on top and hang my head on the fact that I was one of the best of all time, bottom line.
"So there is no way I would be silly enough to look past anybody at this stage of my career. There is so much more to prove. If Clinton brings the fight he says he is going to bring, this could be one of the fights of the year."
Woods is undoubtedly fresher and his workrate ought to put rounds in the bag in a fight which will probably go the distance. But he will have to make absolutely sure of the result to pick up the verdict in Tarver's home town.
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