LEE Churcher locks horns with Africa’s Ishmael Tetteh for the vacant WBU world middleweight title tonight after pushing himself to the limits in a training camp that completely took over his life.

The former Welsh champion faces the biggest fight of his career at Pill Millennium Centre, as the Newport boxer bids to claim the belt in the same week he celebrated his 36th birthday.

Age is just a number for Churcher, but the physical and psychological challenges he has encountered while preparing for this bout have been unlike anything he has confronted before.

“This training camp has taken me to dark places, it’s been quite an emotional one,” he said. “It’s been hard, mentally challenging, and it has taken over my life to a level I never anticipated.

“I’ve been going to sleep thinking about boxing, waking up thinking about boxing, and I’ve done nothing else at all apart from preparing for this fight.

“Don’t get me wrong, when I see what I’m getting out of it, it’s quite rewarding, and going into the fight everything is good, psychologically and physically.”

He continued: “The psychological effects of boxing are difficult to explain to people who aren’t in the sport.

“I’ve taken myself to the limits in training and then gone home where nobody is on the same wavelength.

“It can be quite a depressive sport and I have hit rock bottom in this camp, not through any issues other than the training and the psychological aftermath of the training really hitting me.

“Being in the gym is the easy part, it’s when you leave the gym that is the challenge.

“I’ve spoken to other boxers, some world champions, and they say it’s perfectly normal.”

Churcher only turned professional in 2009, whereas Tetteh made his debut in the pro ranks five years earlier.

The African has won more than 30 times in nearly 50 outings but lost seven and drawn two of his nine title fights.

And although his opponent might have the edge over him when it comes to experience, Churcher believes he has all the tools to prevail tonight.

“I don’t think age matters that much,” added the Welshman. “I’m sparring with young people and there isn’t a difference.

“The only thing where I think age matters is the recovery phase, but it feels like I’m getting better with age, it really does.

“You can’t argue with my power, I’ve just got to keep it all together and make sure I execute it perfectly.

“My game plan will work without a doubt. Africans are very tough and he will be relentless, but I’m a lot more powerful and quicker than him.”