Tyson Fury declared himself ready to face Oleksandr Usyk and said he'd pray for his Ukrainian rival before their undisputed heavyweight clash on Saturday.
The sometimes madcap Manchester, England, native kept his comments brief in a subdued appearance at a news conference on Thursday, two days before what is being billed as the biggest fight this century.
Lennox Lewis, who became the last undisputed heavyweight champion in 1999, sat with Evander Holyfield, the man he beat to unify the belts, in the front row as Fury spoke.
"I'm ready," said Fury, who sauntered to the stage carrying his WBC belt. "I've got nothing to say apart from I'm ready for a good fight.
"If it's tough or easy, either way I will be ready."
Despite fireworks in the buildup, when Fury's father headbutted a member of Usyk's entourage, both fighters have refrained from the traditional trash talk.
"I'll say a prayer for him before we walk out that we both go back in one piece to our families, because that's what it's all about," Fury said of Usyk.
The Ukrainian, who came out in a white suit with a sash, wrote a poem and placed it in his pocket while waiting to speak.
"I'm happy to be here, I'm excited," said Usyk, who refused to read the poem.
Britain's Lewis united the WBC, WBA and IBF belts with his victory over Holyfield, who had been the undisputed champion at both cruiserweight and heavyweight.
Fury and Usyk — another converted cruiserweight, who beat Anthony Joshua to win the IBF, WBA and WBO belts — are both undefeated heading into Saturday's fight, the first undisputed heavyweight bout in the four-belt era.