Bute ready for noise

The unbeaten Canadian-based Romanian usually fights in Montreal but has agreed to come to England to take on Froch, even though he is the current champion.

Froch will have 9,000 fans on his side screaming for Bute's blood - and the 32-year-old's camp has tried to replicate the noise he can expect in the ring during their training sessions in the gym.

And they have gone into detail: the high-pitched screaming of Froch's girlfriend Rachel Cordingley, which has annoyed opponents in the past, has also been replicated.

"While training, we recreate the atmosphere of what we expect to hear at the Capital FM Arena in Nottingham," Bute told ESPN.

"I can’t hear the bell and I can’t even hear my coach talking to me. On May 26, I will be ready to face not only Carl Froch but also the hostile atmosphere of Froch’s fans."

Froch laughed at the tactic, saying he "couldn't think of anything worse" than training to his girlfriend's screams.

"It’s comical and strange at the same time," he told the BBC regarding the training tactic.

"It’s quite funny and a bit weird, but whatever his psychologist is telling him, he’s obviously listening.”

Froch is the underdog for the fight but is convinced that the crowd can roar him on to victory.

"The crowd will be silent when he's throwing punches and going mental when I throw punches," he said.

"It will be difficult to cope with because he won't feel like he's getting any reward for his work.

"I want to put it on him, put him under some serious pressure and make him feel the pain early on and get him out of there.

"He'll either go into his shell and want to go home or come out fighting like a wounded animal. Either way, I'm ready for him."

Bute, however, reiterated at the pre-fight press conference that the crowd would not be a factor.

"In the ring, it's going to be just me and him," he said. "Obviously, the crowd will be all pumped up if he hits me, but I've been expecting that ever since I agreed to the fight.

"I've worked hard leading up to this and I'm going to step into the ring feeling such extraordinary confidence."