Prince Naseem explains his fight tactics

Naz has stepped up his war of words with the Irishman ahead of the 11th defence of his WBO featherweight title.

"I feel that he's going to get such a beating that I think it's going to be his last fight. I'm going to beat him like I was his daddy. I'm here to do business. I'm in there to take him out," said Hamed.

At the weigh-in he stared at McCullough's midrift and inquired "Have you trained?" before the two men embraced.

'Naz doesn't frighten me'

But McCullough said later: "His remarks have been disrespectful. You've got to respect any fighter who steps in the ring with you.

"My trainer Kenny Croom has a plan and if that plan doesn't work we've got a back up one. I'll just go in there and see what he's got.

Hamed: Undefeated

"I don't understand why everybody is underrating me. I'm going to go in there and win the fight."

"Naz doesn't frighten me. I have been in with seven world champions and some of them could bang. I have fought 15 or 16 Mexicans and they don't do you any favours.

"I have never been knocked off my feet and not even in the thousands of rounds I've done in sparring."

Tombstone row

On Friday Hamed rejected part of the scenery for his walk to the ring devised by his American cable television paymasters Home Box Office.

He was upset that the names of his previous title victims were emblazoned on tombstones in a £70,000 graveyard set - plus one showing "October 31" - as part of a Halloween theme.

The tombstones - which were branded as tasteless by some boxing commentators - will remain but without the names.

Hamed's camp branded the stunt as particularly insensitive as the bill also includes British boxer Richie Wenton fighting for the WBO super bantam weight title.

BBC Radio 5 Live big fight preview

In 1994 British boxer Bradley Stone died after being injured in a bout with Wenton.

Lou DiBella, the Senior Vice-President of HBO, said: "It's Halloween. People are going to be wearing costumes.