Nicky Cook has left the chilly temperatures behind to head for the sunshine island of Tenerife as he aims to turn up the heat on WBO title rival Roman Martinez
Nicky Cook left the chilly temperatures behind to head for the sunshine island of Tenerife last week as he aims to turn up the heat on Roman Martinez ahead of next month's WBO world super-featherweight clash.
In his traditional pre-fight routine, Cook will go through a gruelling training regime to ensure he is in top shape to take on the Puerto Rican in Manchester on March 14.
The Stepney-born fighter will be joined this week by stablemate Kevin Mitchell, the British super featherweight titleholder, who is preparing for his own return to action in April.
"We work really hard out in Tenerife," Mitchell said. "It's tough but ideal to get in top shape and really focus on the fight ahead."
Cook is already focusing on opponent Martinez ahead of their showdown at the MEN Arena, the site of his world title triumph over Alex Arthur last September.
Martinez, 25, is unbeaten in 22 fights, and is highly rated in both the WBO and WBC rankings.
Yet Cook, who has suffered just one defeat in 30 pro contests, believes he has what it takes to inflict a first defeat on the challenger and retain his title.
"I've watched a few DVDs of Martinez in action and he is an exciting fighter who likes to throw a lot of punches, but he does get hit a lot," Cook said.
"Looking at the guys he has fought, there's no opponent on the list there that particularly impresses me, so I am very confident.
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