WBA super-middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler has refused to dish out trash talk ahead of his clash with Carl Froch on May 25.
The Dane, who inflicted a first career defeat on Froch three years ago, described his opponent as a "nice guy" and admitted to liking him outside of the ring.
"I like Carl outside of the ring. He's a nice guy. We're going to hit each other very hard so of course you put up a wall," he told Sky Sports News.
"I don't like trash talk. It's the sport I love. It's always difficult to explain to people why you like to hit another person. That's the sport, that's what I've been doing since I was 13 years old and I like it.
"When we look at each other and stand in that ring there's going to be death in our eyes."
Despite his complementary remarks, the Dane vowed to expose his opponent's flaws inside the ring and warned him that he must be better prepared than he was for their previous encounter.
Kessler and Froch's bout is scheduled to take place at London's O2 Arena.