I had to come to the United States to prove myself. I fought for a long time in England and a lot of people thought I was a protected fighter.

I think everyone is pretty excited about me. I have a style that any fight fan would love. I am a real value-for-money fighter. People want to see me against the elite.

My first world title gave me the confidence to go and do bigger and better things.

I'm a Mancunian born and bred and I feel I'm no different to the man in the crowd and it's nice to reward them. I want to become a great champion.

As long as I've got the love of the fans, that means everything to me.

It's still one of the proudest moments in my career boxing at Madison Square Garden. Some fighters who have won titles and championships have never boxed at Madison Square Garden. For a little kid just off a council estate to do it was a dream come true.

I was leaving the hotel to get to the fight when my phone went and someone said 'Hello Ricky, it's Tom'. I said 'Tom who?' and when he said 'Tom Jones' I told him to eff off! I thought it was a wind-up!