Dennis Hogan is hoping his fourth crack at a world title ends differently to the previous three - with the belt wrapped around his waist.
The 37-year-old Irishman who now calls Australia home will first have to deal with tough Englishman, Sam Eggington (32-7), with the pair headlining promoter No Limit's Super Saturday Boxing Festival in Newcastle
In Eggington, Hogan has an opponent who is no stranger to a dogfight.
The 28-year-old from Birmingham has had to scrap his way to become IBO super-welterweight champion, collecting a host of domestic and regional belts along the way.
His epic win over Frenchman Bilel Jkitou was named as 2021 Fight of the Year by the British Boxing Board of Control and has to be seen to be believed.
In 2020, Eggington dropped a points decision to Ted Cheeseman in a bout which was also crowned fight of the year.
So what is it about Eggington that makes for entertaining fights?
“I don’t know. I don’t try it. I don’t go out and push for a big tear up,” Eggington tells Sporting News.
“I always say, you revert back to what you know and I know how to have a fight.
“I know how to make it hard and I know how to bite down on the gumshield and I enjoy it.
“It’s just that simple.”
It does however take two to tango.
Not that Eggington knows whether Hogan will make a good dance partner or not.
“I kid you not, I’ve seen about 40 seconds of Hogan since the start of camp. I leave it to the team,” he said.
“A lot of people can watch a boxer and they can get a lot from it, I’m the total opposite - I see a Mayweather/Tyson mix-up no matter who I’m boxing, so I just don’t watch them.
“I don’t try and change my style for an opponent. I know what I do well and that’s what I work on.”
Hogan, who earned the right for a crack at the IBO strap when he defeated Wade Ryan in Brisbane back in March, isn’t all that keen to play to Eggington’s strengths.
“Those types of fights that he’s in - when have you ever seen me in those fights? I generally don’t get into those fights ever,” Hogan told Sporting News.
“If I can negate that, keep my distance, box him… the saying is, 'he who controls the distance, controls the fight', and I think I can control the distance in this fight for the most part.”
Hogan came painfully close to achieving his dream of a world championship when he lost a majority decision to Jaime Mungaia for WBO super-welterweight title in Mexico back in 2019 - a fight which many believe Hogan won.
Saturday’s fight with Eggington represents one final shot at that elusive belt and Hogan says his motivation couldn’t be stronger.
“When I started off I set a big goal and now I just want to achieve it, I’m so close,” he said.
“I’ve been so close a few times, now I’ve got the opportunity to do it, tick that box and then hopefully shed some inspiration to other people that probably want to give up on their dreams.
“If I can do this on Saturday night, that’s a sign, you can take the biggest hits and stay focussed and stay resilient and you’ll still get there.”
