TROWBRIDGE’S Nick Blackwell says that he’s as ready as he’ll ever be to take on Ukranian champion Max Bursak in his own back yard tonight.

‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell goes toe-to-toe with the 29-year-old EBU middleweight title holder, who has only been stopped once in his 29 fights, in Kharkiv.

But the Wiltshire fighter says he doesn’t envisage a scenario where he’s unsuccessful in claiming the WBA Continental belt.

The 22-year-old, from Trowbridge, insists that a hostile environment in Eastern Europe won’t faze him and is fully focussed on claiming his biggest title to date after more than six months out of the ring.

“All I need to do is go out there, get in the ring with him, beat him up, and come home with the belt,” said the Trowbridge contender.

“I’m used to being out of my comfort zone. I went out sparring in Germany about two years ago and that was probably the worst week of my life.

“I hated it. It was a really nice place where I was at but there was just nobody about. It was a ghost town and there was nothing to do. “I’ve been training for ages and ages now. I’ve been training since my last fight and I’m doing 12-15 round spars against good, fresh lads easily.

“I’m getting stronger, fitter and sharper and I’m real confident about going out there and beating him.”

Blackwell, who has travelled with trainer Mark Kent, promoter PJ Rowson and fellow Contender Gym fighter Gareth Heard, added: “When I got asked if I wanted to fight him, I watched 30 seconds of him and said that I’d take the fight straight away.

“His style suits me down to the ground because he likes to come forward and have a war.

“He’s not that fast and I don’t think he’s that strong, so I just don’t know how he can beat me.

“He’s got a lot more experience than me because he’s had a good amateur background but he’s wild with his shots and I don’t think that he’ll be able to catch me.

“When you’re walking out to the ring, you don’t see anything or hear anything – you just switch off.

“When you’re 100 per cent focused and your mindset’s there, you don’t hear anything and when you can, you know that you’re not 100 per cent focussed.”

A Blackwell victory would see the Trowbridge man earn a three-fight contract with K2 Promotions, who promote the unified heavyweight world champions Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko.

But he won’t be fighting on the Contender Gym’s show at the Trowbridge Leisure Centre on September 27.

Light-welterweight Joe Hughes, from Malmesbury, will be topping the bill against dangerous journeyman William Warburton, while Blackwell’s younger brother Dan is in action against Sheffield’s Dean Walker at super-middleweight.

Bradford on Avon’s Heard, who won the British masters bronze welterweight belt in June, takes on Welshman Leon Findlay while Melksham heavyweight Luke Martin fights Yorkshire’s James Oliphant. Bath’s Mike Rose is also in action.

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