So big has Fabio Wardley’s Portman Road homecoming grown, that he could not even get his eyes tested without talk turning to tonight's fight at the centre of the pitch.

Wardley has not boxed in Ipswich since the fourth fight of his career back in May 2018, when hardly anyone in his hometown had even heard of him.

He beat a Hungarian man called Ferec Zsalek, who was 21-68-6 at the time, inside a round that night and has since gone on to establish himself as a genuine contender on the world heavyweight scene.

And his explosive run to 18-0-1, 17 KOs has paved the way for him to not only return home but also to do so in the first boxing event at Portman Road for nearly 80 years.

“It’s definitely a big thing for the town,” Wardley told The Ring. “The two biggest things around here are probably Ed Sheeran and the football club. So just edging myself towards that status is quite funny.

“Now it has been wherever I go, I fill up my car, go to a shop, wherever it is someone is telling me they’ve bought a ticket or wishing me good luck. Last night me and my Mrs went for a dinner and the waiting staff were congratulating me.

“Or I even went for an eye test the other day and literally everyone in Boots was stopping me. I thought ‘I just need to get in and out of here’... but it is good, it is really good.

“Everyone is buzzing, everyone has got their tickets, everyone is ready to go and counting down to fight night. And I didn’t need any glasses, either. I’m not 20-20 but I can at least see what is in front of me.”

Late on Saturday night, once the early evening drizzle has cleared, it will be Justis Huni in front of Wardley for the most important fight in either man’s career. A world title shot has been promised to the winner and, although that may not come straight away, victory will glean the WBA ‘interim’ title and a place at the front of the queue.

“Coming into this fight he was ranked No. 1 with the WBO so he is really highly ranked in the governing bodies and across other ones, he’s in there in the mix, same as myself," Wardley says.

“Is this the only fight to get me over the line? Probably not, but ultimately it’s a step in the right direction and a step into that contention. We’re both coming into this with something to prove and somewhere to go.”

The next stop for Wardley, however, will be into fatherhood. As revealed by The Ring last month, the heavyweight’s partner is due to give birth to their first child next week, just days after his showdown with Huni.

He smiles sarcastically and raises his thumb when asked if the pregnancy has affected his training at all. “Everything has been perfect, mate,” he says, fooling nobody. “Everything’s been perfect.

“No it has been a bit hectic to be fair and credit to her, really. She’s been chilled the whole way through and she’s quite good at just letting me crack on with what I need to do.

“The room is all set up so hopefully my Mrs can just hold on for another week or so now. Until little one actually arrives, the focus right now is the job at hand on Saturday. Once that’s done, we can forget about boxing for a minute or two and then come back.”

But first, he has to take care of a fight which has generated an unprecedented groundswell of local interest in boxing. If shouldering that has brought any nerves, he does not show it.

“This is something I’ve spoken about for literally years,” he adds. “When I spoke about a fight at Portman Road in the early stages I don’t know how realistic it looked. But it has come together, it has all come off.

“It is going to be a fantastic night, the buzz around the town is crazy and everyone’s really on board. Everyone will be there on the night for what will be, weirdly to say, an history event.

“So I’m just proud to have that on my shoulders.”