Scottish middleweight Craig McEwan is already boasting that he'll best Limerick's Andy Lee at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut on March 12.

Lee had been scheduled to do tackle fellow Irishman John Duddy, but following Duddy's dramatic retirement announcement last week the unbeaten McEwan stepped in.

McEwan's feeling good about his chances. He told the press this week: "This will be the first time I have had a proper training camp before a bout and I expect to step into the ring better prepared than I have ever been."

"Andy is a great fighter and a big hitter but I have watched some of his bouts since he was stopped by Vera and I am amazed that he has been unable to rectify the mistakes which led to his stoppage. He still gets hit too easily."

McEwan added: "If Andy Lee beats me on the 12 March, he's going to climb out of that ring knowing he has been in a fight. I'm going to war. I will hit him harder and more often than Bryan Vera did and if he can get past me he will deserve a shot at the world title!"

Even McEwan's coach, Freddy Roach, is predicting a likely victory for his cocky charge in Connecticut.

"Craig has been a bit inconsistent in his fights over the last couple of years and he's had to dig deep against guys he should have blown away. It comes down to preparation."

"But when he gets the proper pre-fight training he can look like a world beater and that's what we're going to see on March 12."