Ryan Walsh is a great digester of the English lexicon – but is determined to Isaac Lowe eat his words when the two clash in Manchester tonight.

The Cromer boxer's British featherweight title is on the line, but Walsh's determination to keep it in the family has only been hardened by a rift between the two men. A 'war of words' is not unusual in boxing, but there is a genuine dislike between Walsh and Lowe – and it is the champion who wants the final say.

'He has crossed the line and he is going to pay for it,' said Walsh. 'My job is brilliant – if there is a peer I don't like in my weight category or even a weight below or a weight above, there is a good chance at some point I will be in the ring with them and have the opportunity to punch them in the mouth.

'How many people would love to punch their work peer? And as the cherry on top I am going to get paid for it and I am not going to get in trouble.

'In the past I have had big mouth fighters with no intention to fight me. This guy I genuinely thought was going to pull out so I am just happy I am going to get to do what I did to the last guy who had a lot to say.

'I have always said actions speak louder than words. I love words, but I don't believe in them – actions always trump words.'

Walsh has seen off three challenges – Darren Traynor, James Tennyson and Marc McCullough, since claiming the vacant belt in September 2015 when he beat Samir Mouneimne.

Walsh will hardly have been enamoured by the words of Lowe's trainer, Jimmy Harrington, who said: 'Has he still got the ambition, drive and determination? You could say of course he has because he hates Isaac Lowe. At 31, he may be in the gym constantly, but father time catches up with everyone.'

For the Cromer fighter it again comes down to actions.

'I feel brilliant,' he said. 'I will make the weight the best I have ever made it and I will fight the best I have ever fought, due to the lessons learned in other fights.

'I just don't want any bad luck because bad luck you can't prepare for. No one wants that and I don't want this fight to be tainted by bad luck for either of us. I want it to be a full stop finish. He is talking about knocking me out – I think that is impossible.'