Maxi Hughes calls himself 'the Matchroom exterminator' before Giorgio Visioli fight

Hughes pointed to Kid Galahad and Gary Cully at the Sheffield press conference. Visioli, 23 and unbeaten, says his team said yes to the fight straight away.

Maxi Hughes has called himself "the Matchroom exterminator" and suggested the promoter has put Giorgio Visioli in front of him the way he says it did Kid Galahad and Gary Cully.

Hughes, 36, faces the unbeaten Matchroom prospect on Dalton Smith's card at the Utilita Arena Sheffield on Saturday. He turned the question back on the promoter at Thursday's Smith vs Alberto Puello press conference.

"If you're a Matchroom fighter and you're sat here and you're opposite me, what have you done to upset Matchroom and yourself? Because you might as well call me the Matchroom exterminator. You did it with Kid Galahad. You wanted rid of him. So, like, feed him to Maxi. You did it with Gary Cully. Feed him to Maxi," Hughes said. "So, I don't know what Giorgio's done to upset you or what's happened."

Hughes, who fights at home in South Yorkshire, also said he had heard that Visioli's team did not want the fight, and that Visioli had agreed to it when his name was put to him alongside others.

Visioli, 23 and 11-0, said Hughes was the first opponent he was offered. "Maxi was the first they actually offered... I said yes straight away. It's just self-belief," he said. "I mean, Anto and Mark, we said yes straight away, so I don't know where he's got that from."

He gave Hughes credit for his last two performances, against Cully and Archie Sharp, but said he needs more than a win. "For me to really stretch my career, I think a stoppage here is a must-do, and that's what I'm going to do," Visioli said.

Hughes v Visioli is on the Dalton Smith vs Alberto Puello card on Saturday 24 October, live on DAZN (UK start times).

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