'It's that simple!' - Lorente eyes back-to-basics in Collins rematch

"I'm going to make it a bigger fight this time," Cristobal Lorente proclaims, or at the very least, his translator does. "And I'll win too."

The Barcelona-based fighter has seldom been a man to shy from a challenge. You don't earn your European stripes any other way.

But at the same time, the 30-year-old is acutely aware he must step up to the plate this time around, given the new stakes at play.

Last October, Lorente - incumbent EBU super-featherweight champion - arrived in Glasgow as the outsider against Nathaniel Collins.

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Collins prepares for crucial Lorente rematch

Relive fight highlights here

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He left with his belt still slung across his shoulder and a second straight draw on his record, following on from a tie with Ruben Gil.

For many Anglophonic-drawn boxing fans, Lorente's stock was strangely boosted by the result, his opponent's lustre dimmed instead.

Now, he heads back to The Dear Green Place with his strap surrendered, and a shot at the WBC featherweight crown on the line.

Lorente and Collins both know this final eliminator is their ticket to the top of the tree - and for the former, he is determined to cash in.

"I've been working step by step, all my life, to reach this," he tells DAZN News. "I'm so close to fulfiling my dream. It's that simple."

"It's a big opportunity for a title shot"

While Collins has headed to Los Angeles in pursuit of higher preparations, his opponent has not taken the time to scout out Scotland.

Proud of his heritage, Lorente has kept his roots local throughout his career, and has seen no reason to prepare differently this time.

"I'm so happy to return to Scotland for this opportunity, but I've not come early to prepare," he notes. "I need only the four days here.

"I'm so proud to represent my boxing club [on these stages]. I started when I was a kid, and now it's the result of work down the years."

Lorente's pride is well-founded. A child of Catalonia, and of Spain too, he seeks to illuminate his childhood ambitions in the biggest way now.

To an extent, the cut-through for fighters on the Iberian Peninsula has often suffered on the global stage, dwarfed by other disciplines.

This part of the world has produced some sporting legends. Nadal, Alonso, Real Madrid, Barcelona and a few others, to name a bunch.

But Lorente has always been drawn to the squared circle, to the rough-and-tumble of the ring, to the intelligence needed for a dance.

"It's a big opportunity to battle for a world title shot," he muses. "Now, it is my chance to do so. That sharpens the mental processes."

"The respect between us has changed"

That mental edge will be crucial to defeating Collins, a man who felt he did enough to take the win in their cagey first encounter together.

Back then, the Scotsman's confidence that he could tee up a crack at Nick Ball with success over Lorente was given a major reality check.

Ball is no longer a world champion now, dethroned by Brandon Figueroa earlier this year, with Bruce Carrington now the man in his sights.

But Lorente does not feel there is any disregard from his opponent, suggesting that their dozen rounds together has earned them kudos.

Leigh Dawney/Queensberry

"Mentally, the respect between us has changed," he notes when asked on their relationship. "I have a lot of respect for him, just as the first time.

"Now, I feel he has it for me. My camp has been the same as it was the last time. but the difference now is that I know who my opponent is."

That difference is something that Collins will know too, teeing up what promises to be a fascinating second dance between the pair of them.

For Lorente however, the task is simple. He wants to deliver a statement - and with it, book his place on the path towards the history books

"On Friday, I'm going to show the world I'm impressive, confident," he vows. "I will demonstrate if I'm at a better level than Nathaniel Collins."

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