Kiwi-Tonga heavyweight Junior Fa knows eyes are upon him, as he prepares for his 'Day of Reckoning' bout with Cuban Frank Sanchez at Riyadh on Sunday (NZ time).
Fa, 34, has seen his unbeaten pro record battered and bruised, first by longtime rival Joseph Parker in a COVID lockdown points decision in February 2021, then by a brutal first-round knockout by Australian Lucas Browne in June 2022.
He has been largely idle over the past 12 months, as he rebuilds his confidence from that utter defeat, but now has a chance to relaunch his career against a well-travelled veteran whose only blemish in 24 bouts is a no contest way back in 2018.
"I'm not kidding myself, this guy's a good boxer," said Fa. "He's got good skills, but I trust my team, I trust my gameplan, I trust myself... I trust that I'm going to get there on the night.
"I'm going to peak at the right and bring the best version of myself, and get him out of there... win by any means necessary."
With Samoans Parker and Aussie heavyweight Jai Opetaia also on the Saudi Arabia card, Fa is deeply aware that his performance - and those of his Pacific brothers - can inspire other Polynesian fighters on the world stage.
"It's such a proud moment and it's awesome to think of the future generations watching guys like us," he said. "Kids back home are seeing people who look like them perform on a big stage, it's such an honour.
"If we can do it, they can definitely do it better than us. Huge, huge things are going to come from our side of the world."
Fa has prepared for this contest in camp with American Deontay Wilder, who will take on Parker in a battle of former world champions.
"Deontay Wilder, it's no secret... the man hits hard," he said. "You have to be sharp every second you're in there with him and that's exactly what I'm planning when I'm in there with Frank Sanchez.
"I need to be sharp every second I'm in there with him, keep my wits about me, stick to the gameplan and come away with the win."
Sanchez, 31, has won 16 of his 24 fights by knockout and is ranked in the top eight across all the major boxing organisations, peaking at fourth in the WBC and WBO. He is eighth in the WBA, with Fa two spots behind him.
"I've seen some tapes of Junior Fa, he's a good fighter, but I am very well prepared," said Sanchez, through an interpreter. "I've come here to shine and show the whole world who I am.
"I'm in great shape and ready to go. I've come here to win, number one, and if a knockout comes, it comes. I never look for it, but if it comes, it comes."
The card boasts 10 of the top 15 heavyweights in the world, with notable absentees including Brits Tyson Fury and Joe Joyce, Ukrainian Aleksandr Usyk, American Jared Anderson and Chinese Zhilei Zhang.
Fury and Usyk are scheduled to fight on February 18 (NZ time) to unite the major belts.
"The winner of any of these fights are in the mix for big title fights," said promoter Frank Warren. "All of them are meaningful fights."
Join Newshub at 6am Sunday for live updates of Day of Reckoning - Joshua v Wallin, Parker v Wilder, Fa v Sanchez
