I AM GOING to box my way to victory over Jeff Lacy in my world supper-middleweight unification fight at the MEN Arena, Manchester, on Saturday and add the IBF title to my WBO title.

It's not that I believe knock-downs in two of my most recent fights have exposed any vulnerability to a perceived puncher like Lacy, just that I have learned the lessons of those fights - against Byron Mitchell and Kabary Salem - and will not be caught again.

I'm a box-fighter, but for a long time I've done too much fighting and not enough boxing and as a result I've almost slipped up, Mitchell being an example.

I got a bit too excited, went in with both hands swinging and got caught (in the first round before getting up to stop the American).

I was asking for that punch and I'm glad it happened. It was probably the best thing that's happened to me, to get knocked down.

As a result I proved to myself and to everybody in boxing by coming back and stopping him that I had a big heart.

It also emphasised to me that no-one's infallible, no-one's made of stone, you can't walk through people.

I haven't looked at the Salem fight once since it happened. As far as I am concerned it wasn't Joe Calzaghe in the ring that night. That was my worst performance.

I don't think my well documented personal problems at the time had anything to do with it.

I had been out of the ring for quite a long time plus I didn't have any respect for Salem. I just couldn't get up for it, he was an awkward so and so and I hate awkward fighters.

I got caught by a stupid shot, though an excellent one, but my head cleared straight away.

The Charles Brewer fight was another where I should have boxed more. I won it quite comfortably but it was a hard fight and I got caught with some good punches.

I don't think my punch resistance has diminished as I've got older, I'm 34 later this month, though I wouldn't know, nothing's been proved scientifically, it's just that I got caught flush on the chin in both fights.

And whether you've got a good chin or not any fighter in the world, if he gets gets caught with the right shot in the right spot, is going to get knocked out.

Lacy is a lot better fighter coming forward than he is going backwards, but I know I can outbox him.

He is explosive when he's in his range and throws quite a few combinations inside so as long as I'm not in his punching range and don't hold my chin in the air, as far as I'm concerned I'll control the fight.

I've got by far the better jab and everything works behind that. I'll show controlled aggression with my boxing skills and mix it up, so there's not going to be a one-way route to the fight.

And, who knows, if I catch him early and stun him then my boxing instinct will take over and I'll go in to finish the guy just as I've finished many others.

I always fight best against people like Lacy, good boxers who can fight. He's a puncher rather than a boxer and is always looking to land big shots.

But when he throws them he leaves himself open so I'll counter-punch him and bring in some uppercuts and body shots.

I'm a much better boxer and much quicker and I'll box his head off. This title is staying in Wales.