Promoter Eddie Hearn believes home advantage could be crucial for Ricky Burns when he defends his WBO lightweight title against Terence Crawford.
The Scottish fighter will be back in action at the SEC in Glasgow on Saturday night - the same venue where he suffered a broken jaw against Raymundo Beltran last September.
Despite being hurt in the second round Burns managed to cling on to his belt by way of a split-decision draw. Now, having had a titanium plate fitted, the 30-year-old faces up to possibly his toughest fight to date.
Crawford has an unblemished 22-fight record and despite being the challenger this weekend, finds himself favoured to win. Hearn, however, thinks the American could be in for a surprise even before the first bell has sounded.
"For me, this is the biggest fight in the lightweight division right now," Hearn told Sky Sports, as Burns went through an open workout in the centre of Glasgow.
"Crawford is a real golden boy in America and is backed by Bob Arum's Top Rank Promotions and HBO. I saw him in the hotel earlier and I gave him a few words. I honestly don't think he knows what he's in for on Saturday night.
"He knows he's in a real fight with Ricky Burns, but I don't think he knows what 10,000 people, especially Scottish people, are going to sound like.
"We've got less than 200 tickets left so it's going to be a complete sell-out. That's the reason why we worked so hard to get this fight in Scotland. I think it's a huge advantage for Ricky.
"When Terence Crawford walks in the ring on Saturday night with 10,000 people booing him, then hears the noise they then make for Ricky Burns, it makes a huge, huge difference. We will see how special he is when he hears it."
After taking a break to aid his recovery Burns is now focused on making sure he remains a world champion, including bringing in some impressive sparring partners to aid his preparations.
It was feared the man from Coatbridge might never even step between the ropes again after the damage he sustained in the Beltran bout, but Hearn feels the underdog can once again prove the doubters wrong, live on Sky Sports.
"I was in the hospital with him after the fight and I've not see a man in so much pain," he explained. "How he got through the fight I don't know.
"But his recovery has been good - he's had some time out of the ring - which I think was much needed after a couple of tough fights back-to-back.
"His sparring has been great - he's been sparring with the likes of Lee Selby, Kevin Mitchell and Luke Campbell, all Matchroom fighters, and he's in great shape.
"Ricky is one of life's great underdogs. He's an underdog in this fight, too. How often is that the case when you're the champion in your own back yard? That just shows what a tough fight he's got this Saturday against Terence Crawford."
Hearn added: "He (Crawford) has obviously got talent, but I believe the best lightweight in the world is Ricky Burns. When he sees a challenge, he loves it."
