JOSH Taylor claimed he is in the "best shape since he turned pro" as he prepares to fight Ryan Martin in the World Boxing Super Series Quarter Finals.

The 27-year-old, who hails from Prestonpans, is full of momentum following an impressive victory over Ukrainian Viktor Postol in April.

That was before he was crowned the British Boxing Board of Control's Boxer of the Year last week.

The Scot is undefeated in his 13 professional fights, and is looking to maintain that record against "Blue Chip" Martin when they fight on Saturday, November 3, at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow.

"The preparation has been going great," Taylor said at yesterday's (Monday) press conference. "I believe I'm going to win this quarter final, and the semi final could be anywhere so I'm really looking forward to being involved in this tournament in the name of the great Muhammad Ali. I'm excited and thankful for the opportunity. I won't let any of you down, promise."

Taylor has been labelled by many as the bookies' favourite to win, although he is seeded second by American boxer Regis Prograis.

"It doesn't bother me," Taylor told the Courier. "I'm not a gambling man, I'm not a bookies man, so I take no notice of that side of it - being punted as the favourite or the odds on or anything like that, I don't take anything to do with it.

"I think I'm being tipped to win it because I've fought the better opponents as a professional than the other opponents in the tournament. I do believe I'm going to win."

The fight sees Taylor return to the SSE Hydro - the site of his 2014 Commonwealth Gold win, and also where he took down Postol in his hardest fight to date.

"I feel that the Hydro is now my home. I've had such great success there since 2014 and my biggest victory as a professional has been at the Hydro as well. I feel like it's definitely my home arena and my home in boxing. But, I'm looking forward to getting travelling and going around the world in this tournament and seeing different places."

"I don't think there's anyone that's going to beat me in front of the fans in the Hydro. The atmosphere that they make, the noise that they make, the support that they give me, they throw every single punch with me. There's no way there's going to be anyone beating me in the Hydro, definitely not."

It will be the first time Ryan Martin has fought outside America - a fact that Taylor believes could work to his advantage.

"I've come across a lot of Americans that can't travel. There's a lot of Americans that have never been outside of America in their careers or in their life so they don't cope with travelling well - the different cultures, different food, different ways of life.

"It's going to be freezing, and the Glasgow people are going to get right behind me and give him a bit of stick as well. It could rattle him, but it could also put the fire in his belly as well."

Taylor admitted that he hadn't seen a lot of Martin in the ring - but he was confident he could deal with the American's occasionally dirty tactics. The Ohio-born boxer has lost four points in his career through pushing and low blow violations.

"I'm the same height as him so possibly he could hit me below," he said. "If he hits me low I'll be f*****g hitting him back low. If he hits me on the back of the head, I'll hit him on the back of the head. If he wants to play dirty, it can get dirty and it probably will at bits.

"There's always those wee dirty tricks in the book but if he wants to play like that he'll get it back. It's on him to take the fight from me, being here in Scotland, he's going to come out and try everything in his power but I'm not going to let him."

The Tartan Tornado also insisted that he is more relaxed than before, and is not feeling any pressure.

"I've been much more relaxed in the gym. I've been going with the flow, been more loose. My sparring has been much better because I'm not trying so hard to impress.

"There's no pressure on me anymore. That last fight with Viktor Postol the pressure was on because I knew what was at the back of it - if I won it I was coming into this or I was fighting for a world title. I had to win that fight.

"I have to win this fight, but there’s no pressure anymore. I'm on the world stage now. I know I'm there, I'm in the big fights. Whether I win, lose or draw this fight I know there's big fights at the back of this. There's no pressure on me, so I've been much more settled in the camp."

Taylor has just moved into a new flat in London - a move which he also credits as helping with his preparation.

"I've got my wee flat now, it's only a mile up the road from the gym so I can just cycle up and down to the gym, in between sessions I can go and chill out and get my head down, go get something to eat and chill out, whereas before I was staying in a hotel 40 minutes away on a train.

"I was in the gym all day and I was sharing a room with Lee McGregor day in day out. There's sometimes where you just need your own headspace. You go through a lot of ups and downs in training camps, good days and bad days and there's times where you just need your own space. I was frustrated the full camp and it showed in my performance last time, but this time I feel a lot better and back to my old self."

He also elaborated on a tweet earlier this month, which contained a photo of Edinburgh Castle - which he has now revealed to be his dream fight venue.

"That's a dream come true. On the esplanade, just before the Tattoo starts, with all the stands up, and have that filled. It holds about 8,000 I think, so you'd probably get about 10,000 with the floor on the esplanade with the ring. That would be brilliant, it would be amazing. If we had a summer like we did this year, that would be brilliant."

He was confident that the fight would be different to the tough opposition that Ukrainian Viktor Postol proved to be, and his manager Barry McGuigan shared a wary confidence.

"We aren't taking Ryan Martin for granted. He's a very tough fighter, he's a very good kid, but I think Taylor beats every one of them on any given day.

"He's travelled the world as an amateur, he's boxed on foreign soil, he's boxed everywhere. It doesn't worry him, it doesn't faze him and he's got the most adaptable style.

"He's matured a lot, he's 27 years-old. He's got his apartment down in London now. He's much more settled. For this camp, he's in the best condition he's ever been in."

"I think I've got the best 140-pounder in the world."