Joe Calzaghe admits he was one of the many people to write off Roy Jones Jr - but insists there is no way he will underestimate the re-invigorated veteran American on Saturday.
Calzaghe, 36, puts his title and 45-fight unbeaten professional record on the line at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night against an opponent who, at the age of 39, is still trying to rebuild a career that saw him proclaimed the number one pound-for-pound boxer in the world for a decade from 1993-2003.
Since then, the eight-title, four-weight champion who became the first former middleweight title-holder to win a heavyweight belt in more than a century when he beat John Ruiz five years ago, slumped to three straight defeats — to Antonio Tarver, Glen Johnson and Tarver again — in 2004-05 and has fought only three times since.
The most recent came in January when Jones easily outpointed a lacklustre Felix Trinidad.
But Calzaghe, the former super-middleweight champion, whose most recent win came in April at light-heavyweight over Bernard Hopkins, believes the American is primed and ready for a return to his former greatness.
"Roy says he's in the best condition he's been in for years and I believe that and I'm in the best condition I've been in for years so it's going to be one hell of a fight," Calzaghe said during Wednesday's final pre-fight press conference in Manhattan. "I was one of those guys that wrote him off but he's come back and had three good wins.
"He's Roy Jones Jr and when I sit back and look at other opponents, the guy's a legend, an even bigger legend than Hopkins. I was impressed with his last fight. Okay, Trinidad was a lot smaller but I watched the (Anthony) Hanshaw fight (in July 2007) and the Prince (Ajamu, in July 2006) fight and he's hungry.
"This is redemption for him so you can't write Roy Jones off. He's in great shape, the best he's been in for years, so I can't go in there sloppy like I did with Hopkins or else I'm heading for trouble."
Calzaghe has said he is much more focused on facing Jones than he had been before the Hopkins fight, which saw him knocked down in the opening round before pulling out a split-decision win in Las Vegas.
"I'm in great shape, I'm really happy, my hands have been great, I'm really quick and I just can't wait to get to Madison Square Garden and give another fight to remember," he added. "It's going to be a great fight."
Jones echoed that sentiment during the press conference and said he would be motivated by Barack Obama's success in the previous night's US presidential election.
"That made feel so good to be an American again and I'm so proud to be an American," Jones said. "It's 20 years since I represented this country (at the 1988 Olympics) and I poured my heart out for it then and I'll pour my heart out for it again.
"I've got another guy here who is the best pound-for-pound fighter right now but I love change. This country's about change and I'm about change. He's been throwing punches since yesterday and I've been ducking and dodging them in my sleep because that's what he does.
"Come Saturday night, though, we're going to see how he's going to deal with me."