BOXING/McCullough title fight: Wayne McCullough will be looking to catch Oscar Larios cold when he steps into the ring to challenge the Mexican for his WBC super-bantamweight belt in California tonight.
The former champion, who at the age of 34 is surely facing the last opportunity to reclaim a WBC title, feels he is mentally and physically sharper than ever ahead of the fight at The Palace Indian Gaming Center in Lemoore.
But while the Belfast-born "pocket rocket" has been honing his skills at trainer Freddie Roach's Los Angeles gym, Larios has opted to stay in his home town of Guadalajara.
McCullough believes this could be an indication that the 28-year-old is underestimating the challenger to his crown.
"Yes, definitely," said McCullough. "Obviously you can train as well in your own town as anywhere else, but I think if you are going to do it right, you go to a training camp.
"I'm a Vegas man, but I've been away for a few weeks now training in California and I am feeling really good.
"Larios is tough, he's a champion, and it is going to be a really tough fight, but I think he is looking at me as a washed-up 34-year-old, so I am going to surprise him."
Larios certainly likes to keep busy, and 54 of his 58 fights so far have ended in victories.
The fact that Larios avenged two of the three defeats in his career with wins - against Israel Vazquez and Willie Jorrin - is testimony to his gritty determination.
The first-round knockout of Jorrin in 2002 gave Larios the WBC belt which he has successfully defended five times since then.
Larios' four successful fights in 2004 all went the distance, and McCullough was at ringside for his last win over Nedal Hussein at the MGM Grand in November of last year.
Over the years though, McCullough has proved he will not shirk a challenge.
His four career defeats against Daniel Zaragoza, Naseem Hamed, Erik Morales and Scott Harrison have all gone to the scorecards.
"Larios throws a lot of punches, but I don't think he throws as many as I do, and I reckon I can handle him."
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