Bobby 'The Viper' Vanzie plans to be at his most venemous when he tackles the tree surgeon tonight.

Vanzie will be spitting with anger after hearing his unbeaten challenger Steve Murray talk about felling him like the trees he used to chop down for a living, when they meet at Picketts Lock.

Vanzie is putting his British lightweight title on the line in Murray's backyard.

He will taking on a hard-hitting opponent and a fiercely partisan crowd which will include 3,000 fans cheering for his rival.

But his focus is on logging another win after losing his Commonwealth title and unbeaten record to Ghana's James Armah in his last fight.

Murray, who has won all his 16 contests since he gave up tree-felling in 1998, is confident of ending Vanzie's 31-month reign as champion.

"I will knock Vanzie out," declared the cocky 25-year-old.

"He says I will retire after five or six rounds, but he's in for a big surprise.

"I've never gone more than eight rounds before, but I've trained for 12 - and I'm confident it won't go past eight anyway."

Murray, managed by Frank Warren, won five out of nine national finals as an amateur, numbering former European super-bantamweight champion Spencer Oliver among his victims when winning 68 of his 75 bouts.

"I do not underestimate Vanzie at all - and he must have something in the bag to have lost only once in 22 contests - but I still feel that his ability is very limited," added Murray.

Vanzie has been anxious not to be drawn into a war of word. He has been keeping himself firmly focused on the task ahead.

He said: "I know that Murray has a reputation for being a big puncher but he hasn't felt my fists hitting him in the face when he rushes forward.

"I know that he will feel he is the favourite with all the support he will have.

But crowds don't win fights, they can help a fighter through a bad patch but the fighter has to win it himself. "I love it when I am seen as the underdog. It makes me hungry to succeed. I have not had any favours in getting to where I am now and I don't expect any," he said.

"Murray can say what he likes. What matters is what happens in the ring. I am sure that my right jab and the corkscrew left upper cut will surprise him.

"I honestly don't feel the fight will go the distance. I know that I will have to guard against carelessness in the early rounds because he has a big punch, but I believe he will tire quickly and that's when I will move in to take the fight."