Oldham's Aqib Fiaz vows to make Kane Baker pay for taunts

The Lees prospect was due to face the toughest test of his professional career against the durable 30-year-old at Fight Camp last month.

But trainers Jamie Moore and Nigel Travis pulled the super-featherweight out at late notice after the 21-year-old prospect felt ill in the bio-secure bubble at Matchroom's headquarters in Brentwood, Essex.

That led to Birmingham’s Baker accusing Fiaz of ducking him and even feigning illness to get the fight postponed.

Now as he looks to make it six wins out of six as a professional on his debut for Eddie Hearn’s promotional outfit, the former Northside ABC man is ready to do his talking in the ring.

“It was impossible not to watch the fallout,” Fiaz said.

“It is what it is. I’m a young man, 21-years-old and social media is a big part of our lives, not just ours but everyone’s.

"It was impossible to stay off it. I’ve seen everything and yeah, he was talking a lot but talk is cheap.

“On the night, we’ll see. He’s emotionally involved and when you’re emotionally involved you make mistakes, and when he makes those mistakes I’ll make him pay.

“At the end of the day all of the build-up and everything can be big, he can go on like he’s going to do this and do that, but the fight is still the same.

"He’s still the same man with the two hands that he had before. I’m still the same man too. He’s got to get past my two hands and I don’t think he will.

“He can talk all he wants, like I said, talk is cheap. Fighters win fights, not talking. Not weight, not tattoos, not acting big in front of a camera.”

Fighting under Covid-19 restrictions means Fiaz is back in a bio-secure bubble ahead of fight night, and says despite the setback he is more than ready for the challenge ahead and wants no excuses when all is said and done as he takes on a former Midlands Area champion.

“Looking back, the ‘bubble’ experience was strange,” he said.

“When I was bumping into Kane around the hotel, he was fine, but when I watched his interviews back, he was acting the big man in front of the camera.

“When I was in there I quite enjoyed the peace and quiet. I was able to concentrate on the job at hand.

“When the fight was first mentioned we had five weeks’ notice. Now it has turned in to a ten or 11-week camp.

“It’s perfect for both of us really. I’ve seen him crying and complaining, saying I had more notice than him – which I didn’t.

“We’ve had the same time as him to prepare. Now we’ve had a proper training camp. On the night, he’ll have no excuses when I beat him.”

Fiaz was at pains to make it clear that his illness back at the start of August was genuine and that he was determined to fight before being advised otherwise.

“I woke up on the morning of the weigh-in and I was feeling a bit sick and a bit light-headed,” he said.

“Every fighter will say ‘yeah you do feel like that on the morning of a weigh-in’. I thought it was the weight.

“Jamie told me that I wasn’t right, and I told him I was fine, and to just give me until after the weigh-in. I weighed-in, rehydrated and ate again, but I couldn’t get myself right.

“Jamie could see it, there was no hiding it. I tried my best, but I’m glad that my team made the decision that they did to protect my health.

“Now we’ve got another chance to get the fight on and it’s bigger and better this time. Like everyone else, (manager) Steve Wood was messaging me to see if I was alright.

"My first reply to him while I was sitting in A and E was ‘get the fight on again’.

“Even when I was sat in the room with the doctor, I was asking him if I could fight on the next Fight Camp event the following week.

“There was all sorts going through my mind in hospital, I was scared.

"I’m only young, I thought it would be devastating for my career this early on. If we had chose to fight it could have been.

"I’m glad we made the decision that we did. I’ve got to thank Jamie and Nigel for making that call.”

The show, headlined by Joshua Buatsi's meeting with Marko Calic, is live on Sky Sports.