Carl Frampton has vowed to light up his Stateside debut this weekend by showing the American audience just what they've been missing.
The Belfast boxer has travelled to the frontier lands of West Texas to defend his IBF Super Bantamweight belt against Mexican Alejandro Gonzalez Jr in El Paso on Saturday. With the fight being beamed into every household in the US on network television, Frampton knows it ranks as a golden opportunity to make major inroads in the market here.
While he is an overwhelming favourite for the bout, Frampton admitted that there is an added pressure to put on the sort of show of force that will help make him as popular on this side of the Atlantic as he already is back home.
"There's always pressure on me," said the undefeated 28-year-old. "The media attention that we get back home is huge so that brings its own pressure. But over here of course there's a need to go out there and impress.
"He may come and have a fight. He's a proud Mexican, massive heart. But whatever he brings, I'm going to be able to deal with it all" - Carl Frampton
"I think I have a style that can please [the American audience], that can win them over. I don't want to go out there and just labour along to a points victory. I want to knock this guy out. I'm not overlooking him but realistically, if I perform to my best, I should knock him out."
Gonzalez has only suffered one defeat in his young career but has bounced back from that loss last year with three straight wins. Fighting a Mexican so close to his homeland - Saturday's fight venue is less than three miles from the border - is often one of the more daunting prospects in boxing.
However Gonzalez doesn't shape to be a stereotypical brawler. Instead it's likely that Frampton will be the one who has to chase his opponent down.
"I think that's the case," agreed the Jackal. "He's going to keep things long, stay on the back foot. But it's up to me then to do whatever it takes to get the win, to go looking for him and hunt him down.
"He may come and have a fight. He's a proud Mexican, massive heart. But whatever he brings, I'm going to be able to deal with it all."
The opportunity of a US debut opened up for Frampton when messy negotiations over a hotly anticipated showdown with Britain's Scott Quigg broke down earlier this year due to disagreements over the split of the purse.
Quigg, the WBA 'regular champion', is also in action this weekend when he takes on veteran Spaniard Kiko Martinez, who Frampton has beaten twice in his career, in Manchester on Saturday. Should both favourites prevail on either side of the Atlantic, a date with Quigg is still very much the preferred option for Barry McGuigan's protege.
"I'd love the Quigg fight back home [next]. But it depends on so many things," added Frampton. "It obviously depends on Saturday afternoon for me and Saturday night for him, against Kiko. That's no gimme, it's a tough, tough fight.
"But there is loads of options - Santa Cruz-Abner Mares, the winner of that, [Guillermo] Rigondeaux is another fight I'd like. I've got my eyes on everyone. I just want big names from here on in."
Saturday's opponent doesn't quite fall into that bracket. For his part, Gonzalez freely admitted that the fight could be punishing - but he insisted that it will be a two-way street.
"I don't think it's going to be a fight, I think it's going to be a war," said the 22-year-old. "I'm an intelligent fighter. I'm not like one of those Mexicans who like to get in there and take punches.
"I always take care of myself. People say I'm very difficult to fight against. People that I fight, people that I spar, they say I'm a very difficult fighter and I punch hard."
The son of a former double world champion, Gonzalez is desperate to emulate his father with what would be considered an almighty upset in front of the global TV audience.
"I think I had boxing in my blood. I've dreamt and dreamt all my life of being [a champion] like my father," said Gonzalez, before insisting that El Paso, even with its huge Mexican population shouldn't be considered such a daunting prospect for Frampton.
"For me, it doesn't ever affect me going to somewhere else. I mean I'm from Guadalajara, I'm coming to El Paso too. This is not my house. So it's a neutral venue. I came here to fight. For me it doesn't matter where I fight.
"I would have gone to his house to fight him. My only fight outside of Mexico was here in El Paso and I won, thirty seconds into the first round. It might not be so quick [on Saturday] but I hope I can be the new champion."
