Anthony Joshua believes his "hunger and determination" will more than make up for Jason Gavern's superior experience when the pair go head to head in Newcastle on Saturday.
Joshua will be entering the ring for the first time in 2015, after he was forced to pull out of a January fight against Kevin Johnson due to a stress fracture in his back.
The London 2012 gold medallist is unbeaten in 10 professional bouts but yet to go past round three, while Gavern is walking into the ring for the 50th time in his career.
"At 11 fights he's probably looking at me like I'm a raw novice in the professional world," Joshua told IFL TV.
"He's got 50 fights and he's looking at himself like he has so much experience but hunger and determination has got me through a lot of the time.
"I'm 10 fights in now - double figures. I can definitely say I'm learning and everything will be second nature on Saturday.
"I'll try not to let the nerves get to me. I'm going to stay calm. It's a mental thing.
"Sparring has been really good. I've been sparring with guys who are sharp and I've been handling business in sparring so I should be good to go on Saturday night."
Gavern's last fight in the UK came in November 2013, when he lost the Prizefighter final to Michael Sprott - an opponent Joshua took just 90 seconds to knock out in November.
The British heavyweight is, however, taking nothing for granted this weekend.
"There's no sparring you can do to prepare for Gavern," Joshua said.
"With 50 fights and so much experience, he's a very awkward opponent.
"I've watched his videos and he's awkward to hit.
"He's entertaining as well - he can get in your head mentally.
"I've been out five months so I'll probably have a bit of ring rust myself while he'll be sharp so there will be some heavyweight blows and may the best man win."
Gavern has not had long to prepare for Joshua as he was only confirmed on the card a week ago but the 37-year-old American has vowed to put on a show at the Metro Radio Arena.
"Boxing is about opportunities and I'm looking forward to this fight," Gavern said.
"I saw the odds on Facebook of me getting knocked out within 15 seconds, or 20 seconds or 30 seconds - it's kind of funny.
"It's the heavyweight division, Anthony Joshua is here for a reason. He's a gold medallist for a reason and I've a lot of respect for him - it's going to be a lot of fun for the fans."
Source: PA
