Roarke Knapp razor sharp for Brandon Thysse trilogy decider

This main set for Emperor’s Palace on Saturday night is a trilogy bout that carries the weight of personal legacy and national prestige, with Knapp out to prove he is the premier talent in the Junior Middleweight division. 

During the pre-fight press conference, the 27-year-old was quick to pay his respects to Andre Thysse, the father of Brandon and a true legend of the sport. 

"First of all, I'd like to send my best wishes to the Thysse family and wish the late, great Andre Thysse a happy heavenly birthday, he gave me my first bout as a professional and put me on the path which inevitably brought me to where I am today," said Knapp.

"I think Saturday night will definitely honour him – I think he's definitely proud and looking down on his boys, and everything as a whole in boxing, very proudly.

"Secondly, thanks to Golden Gloves and IME, boxing has grown tremendously in this country and I think it's going to carry on growing that way."

READ: David Rajuili honours a legacy and reclaims his roots

To prepare for this fight, Knapp made the difficult but necessary choice to be away from his family and head to England to sharpen his weapons over a two-month period. 

"Preparations in England were great, a tough camp – not an easy decision to leave my family for two months, and I know I'm not the first guy to do that, but I genuinely put myself in the most uncomfortable position possible by making that sacrifice," he added.

"I think that's just a testament to the respect that I have for Brandon, we've both taken each other to deep waters and pushed each other really far, which is why we have the respect we have for each other.

"But like they say, on the 28th, that all gets put aside and it's just going to be one hell of a fight – I think we're obviously going to win on Saturday night, and the fans are going to win."