Anthony Mundine admits he was struggling to make weight for his aborted WBA light-middleweight fight against Shane Mosley last month, but says he'll be in the best shape of his career when the pair step into the ring on November 27.
The former two-time world champion was devastated when Mosley flew back to the US just 24 hours before the fight after promoter Vlad Warton failed to stump up the cash to pay the Californian $700,000 he was owed.
However, Mundine said on Thursday the setback could prove to be a blessing in disguise given how badly he felt on the eve of the bout having only just made the 69.9kg weight limit.
"I made 150-151 (pounds), but I drained myself a little bit, I left it a bit too late and the morning of the weigh-in ... I didn't feel that great," he said.
"I would have felt better the next day with some food in me, but I was too confident I would make the weight and I thought I'd be sweet.
"But I was then taking hot baths, saunas, starving myself to make the weight the day before and I don't want to do that this time."
Mundine has fought at super-middleweight, middleweight and light-middleweight in his 49-fight career and has become used to stripping his bodyweight before a bout.
However, he said he won't be leaving it too late to get into shape this time around and has embarked on the toughest training regime of his life to get in shape for the fight he said will define his career.
"It's tough making weight, if I was light-heavyweight it wouldn't be a problem," Mundine told AAP.
"But light-middleweight is very hard. When I played rugby league I was 86 kilos, and a big, strong guy.
"That is 16-17 kilos less than what I will have to be at the weigh-in. It takes discipline, dedication and hard work to do it.
"People don't see that side of the preparations."
Seven-time world champion Mosley will be the best credentialled opponent Mundine has stepped into the ring with since he lost to the outstanding Danish former super-middleweight Mikkel Kessler in 2005.
He claims to be an infinitely better boxer than when he fought Kessler, but has no intentions of returning to the bigger weight division.
"My body has evolved form when I fought at super-middleweight, my physical structure and my frame became smaller," he told AAP.
"That's why I have been able to do what no-one else has done and descend."
Mosley said the fight was to prove to the "whole world" that he's not done.
"I'm serious. I'm not coming back just for the money ... but because I want to be the best, I want to fight the best and I want to be a world champion again and on top of the hill," he said.
"If I didn't believe I could beat Mundine I wouldn't have picked the fight."
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