"I knew you'd come calling at some stage!" Ray Moylette told Eddie Hearn on Thursday.
"I didn't think it'd take three years on the couch to get the call. Thankfully, I did, and I was ready for it."
On Saturday night, live on DAZN, the Mayo man fights Dalton Smith for the WBC international silver super-lightweight title on the Kiko Martinez vs Josh Warrington card in Leeds.
The fight will be just the 14th of a career, like so many, which was stalled by the Covid-19 pandemic. Moylette has fought just once since he lost to Christian Uruzquieta in Castlebar in December 2018.
During the press conference, Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn called the 25-year-old Smith - who is 7-0 - "one of the best prospects in world boxing".
.@raymoylette on the last few years and getting a shot against Dalton Smith 🇮🇪#MartinezWarrington2 pic.twitter.com/gRVIOuzsHM
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) March 24, 2022
Ray Moylette: 'I've won the lotto'
"I've travelled the world with the Irish team," said Moylette, 12-1 in his pro career.
"I was a top amateur as well, as Dalton was. I've been around the boxing game for a long time. I've been in the ring - no offence to Dalton - with better lads than him. I've beat better lads than him.
"I'm here as an opponent for Dalton, on paper. In reality, I've won the lotto when I got the opportunity to fight him; I was expecting to get a much harder fight on one of your shows. I'm delighted that ye've given me the opportunity as an opponent. I'm not really the opponent at the end of the day; I'm coming off the couch, ready to take over.
"You said he's the best prospect in world boxing but I'm ready to change that on Saturday night.
"I was offered three or four fights with other matchmakers. I know my abilities, my levels, and I know my limits. I didn't take those fights. I'd rather have stayed on the sideline, and pretend I could blame Covid, blame this. I knew I wasn't able to beat those lads. That's the truth.
"You gave me the opportunity to fight this man, and I took it. I've three years very inactive on the fight scene, not training.
"My career was at a standstill. I'd be daft not to take this fight that I can win. It's the stuff of dreams really, that I can do it on a big show, on a big card."
Picture By Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
Smith promised it would be an "entertaining" fight.
"My last couple of fights have been step-ups," he said.
"These are the fights we've been asking for. The fight that was originally made, that fell through. We looked at [Ray], and said he's the perfect opponent for my next fight.
"I know what Ray is about. He knows what I'm about. We're no mugs to the game. We've been around the world in the amateur game, we've experienced it.
"He's fought every style there is out there - some of the great names who came through the amateurs. He's 12-1 as a professional.
"He's not got a padded record, the same as I haven't. We haven't achieved what we've achieved by playing that game."
🗣 @daltonsmith08: "I know what Ray is about and he knows what I'm about"#MartinezWarrington2 pic.twitter.com/iY1Hn8GcEr
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) March 24, 2022
After Hearn pointed out that Smith had referred to him as a stepping stone, Moylette said that's a label he's happy to carry if it means he gets his shot.
"I was at the top level three years ago, we could say, but I never got the call to fight any of your prospects because maybe you (Eddie Hearn) were afraid, maybe you weren't, but I never got call.
"I got the call now because I'm inactive on the record. I'm happy enough to be a prospect, happy enough to be a stepping stone if that's what gives me my shot."
Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
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