The notion that Quade Cooper's fight is for little else than to offer star power to the undercard for the Anthony Mundine - Danny Green fight is picking up speed.
With a lot of anticipation about how Cooper will perform in the ring ahead of his return to Super Rugby in 2017, his younger and albeit less physically chiselled opponent, Jack McInnes conceded he can't wait for the fight to be over.
"I'm hungry. I can't wait to get it over and done with actually," McInnes told the Queensland Times
The Queenslander also admitted that he might not be actually fit for the bout he's trained just three weeks for.
"The arm's a bit tender [due to an injury] but I should get through it. I'm ready for it.
According to his coach, Hervey Bay local Craig Glover, McInnes has fought over 55 fights across Muay Thai kickboxing, boxing and cage fighting, belying his professional boxing record of zero wins and two losses.
While McInnes suggested that he wasn't quite fit and that it could be his last fight, his coach said believes he'll push Cooper.
"I think his body will be fit and ready but the one thing Jack has on him is fight experience," Glover told the Fraser Coast Chronicle.
"Fifty-five fights under your belt compared to three is a heck of an advantage for Jack as long as we can hang in there in the fight."
In the other corner, Cooper told rugby.com.au that he'd use the bout to prepare for the upcoming Super Rugby season.
"Every time I get in the ring, for my own personal growth it's been great," said Cooper.
"You get a lot of confidence out of stepping into that ring, overcoming that fear.
"There's a natural fear every time you step into the ring, where you could possibly get knocked out, you could possibly get humiliated in front of a massive audience.
"So it's one of those things I train very hard for and I'm very passionate about."
Newshub.
