Gary Corcoran says Jeff Horn's luck will run out when he fights him on Dec. 13 after claiming the Australian was fortunate previously to have faced Manny Pacquiao "at the right time".
The English boxer is Horn's first challenger for the WBO world welterweight title he won via a controversial points decision over Pacquiao in Brisbane on Jul. 2.
Eight-division world champion Pacquiao lost by unanimous scores of 111-117, 113-115 and 113-115 that were heavily criticised, but Corcoran says Horn was helped by facing a champion in decline.
"He got lucky against Pacquiao because a year or two years ago Pacquiao would have knocked him out," Corcoran told ESPN.
"But Pacquiao is into his politics now and is nearly 40 [Pacquiao turns 39 on Dec. 17].
"He's lost that extra yard, he's very small and is on the slide, slower and looking at retirement. Horn got Pacquiao at the right time. I would have liked to have fought Pacquiao myself then.
"Horn got the opportunity and took it, fair play to him, but I had never heard of him before he fought Pacquiao."
Pacquiao disagreed with the judges' decision and complained about Horn's rough fighting, including headbutts.
Corcoran (17-1, 7 KOs), 27, is anticipating more rough fighting from 29-year-old Horn (17-0-1, 11 KOs), who will have the backing of his home city fans at the Convention & Exhibition Centre in Brisbane.
"I do expect him to use his head like he did against Pacquiao," Corcoran told ESPN.
"He has a style that turns up his head, but I'm going to be ready for anything he brings.
"The people I've fought are above what he has fought before Pacquiao. I've got a lot of experience and I've fought a lot of 10-rounders against fresh kids. I haven't fought people who are 40 years old.
"Everyone has been respectful down here to me and as long as I don't get cheated, I can't complain ... as long as they don't cheat me, I win this fight."
Victory will transform Corcoran's life, just as it has Horn's since his title triumph against Pacquiao at Suncorp Stadium.
Like Horn before he faced eight-weight world champion Pacquiao, Corcoran is unheralded ahead of his first world title attempt.
The London-based boxer, who is ranked at No. 10 with the WBO but not in the top 10 rankings with the other three governing bodies, has been in Australia for three weeks acclimatising after learning about the title shot while shopping.
"I got a phone call when I was out shopping with the missus at Brent Cross [shopping centre]," Corcoran told ESPN.
"I agreed to it straight away. It could change my life, winning this fight, I know that, but I'm just thinking about beating Jeff Horn and not about what could happen."
A lucrative fight in April against Pacquiao, American Terence Crawford, who unified all four super lightweight world titles in August, or even Corcoran's fellow Englishman Amir Khan, are some of the options awaiting the winner.
Former super lightweight champion Amir Khan may even attend the fight in Brisbane as he has been in Australia for the last few weeks filming "I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!", which has been watched in the U.K. by average audiences of 10 million every night since Nov. 19.
"People have told me Amir might be there at the fight after I'm a Celebrity finishes, but I'm not thinking about anyone else at the moment, just about this fight, and will see what happens after," Corcoran told ESPN.
"Horn is looking ahead to other fights but I don't really care about that, he's going to get beat anyway."
Corcoran lives on an Irish Traveller site in Wembley, north London, where he shares a caravan with his wife, Jennifer, and their two-year-old daughter Summer. He has an Irish accent and is one of nine brothers and also has three sisters. His elder brothers Eddie and Billy were also professional boxers.
Corcoran, who suffered his first defeat by stoppage to British champion Liam Williams in July last year, got the surprise title shot after Pacquiao chose not to face Horn in a proposed Nov. 12 rematch as the Filipino senator was busy with government duties.
Corcoran only just won his last fight, against Nigeria's Larry Ekundayo, by a split points decision on July 8, but he has been given added belief that he can pull off an upset far away from home by tales about another Traveller boxer called George 'Digger' Stanley, the grandfather of Corcoran's co-trainer Peter Stanley. 'Digger' Stanley was born in a caravan in south-west London in 1876 and went on to win British, European and world bantamweight titles early in the 20th century.
"Peter has told me about his grandad, told me the stories, and shown me all the pictures and it's been great inspiration," Corcoran told ESPN.