George Groves says he is back to his very best as he gets ready to challenge for a world title at the fourth attempt. The super-middleweight star challenges the former holder for the vacant WBA 'super' world champion Fedor Chudinov at Bramall Lane, Sheffield, on Saturday.
Groves has fallen short on three previous attempts at a world title and admits only he will be to blame if he fails to make it fourth time lucky.
However, Groves has been with trainer Shane McGuigan for around 18 months and is expecting to produce the sort of performance that saw him beat rival James DeGale and give Carl Froch problems in their first world-title clash.
"If you think I am back to where I was, that is a fair comment, I just didn't want to hear it for so long and was just shying away from it," he exclusively told Sky Sports.
"People were saying 'you were a good fighter but you aren't any more' and we all wish people would give us fighters more credit, but I do feel all the good aspects I've got are working well.
"In the past they were being trained out of me and now they are back.
"Now I am back boxing how I want to box and I just think, all round, it's much better."
Groves is the favourite despite Chudinov holding the WBA title before a controversial loss to Felix Sturm and already winning in the UK, beating Frank Buglioni in September 2015.
The Russian might not be the biggest threat 'The Saint' has come up against but is confident he has worked his way back into title contention and is not taking the Russian lightly.
"I've always been beaten by the very best in the world," he said.
"People thought I would walk through Badou Jack and I lost a tight decision away from home, but he [Jack] has since beaten Lucien Bute and drew with DeGale, so is a class act.
"You all know about Froch, he is a class act, with world-class toughness.
"I don't feel I have ever been trying to catch the right fighter at the right time, I have forced my way through the other ones or mandated myself, and this is no different. This is the move up the WBA and it's ended up with Chudinov, at home, and it is the best opportunity to win the world title.
"If things don't go right for a reason it is my fault. I never think I am not good enough, it'll be that I've created problems for myself, or this or that went against me and that was not good enough. I am not going to allow that this time.
"I will make sure that won't happen. This is the one."
