Liverpool heavyweight David Price hopes a comeback win this weekend will take him a step closer to a clash with domestic rival Tyson Fury.
The 34-year-old fights for the first time since being stopped by Christian Hammer last February and takes on tough Polish journeyman Kamil Sokolowsk in Brentwood on Saturday night.
Former British and Commonwealth champion Price (21-4, 18KOs) believes a pre-Christmas victory will tee up a big 2018 as he aims to get back into the mix with the world's top heavyweights - including lineal champion Fury who is still battling to have his licence returned after an alleged failed drugs test.
Price defeated Fury as an amateur and the pair have recently traded words over social media, with both men suggesting they would be keen on a clash in the paid ranks.
"If that's something Tyson Fury is serious about then I'd love the opportunity to finally get in the ring again with him and put the rivalry to bed," said Price.
"You have to be realistic though, as he's the lineal heavyweight champion and I've got to prove my worth.
"I'm sure I'm going to do that in the next couple of fights and the heavyweight division is changing all the time. A few fights down the line, a fight against Fury would be massive for boxing again.
"I just have to get my name back out there again with a good couple of wins and it will capture the public's imagination.
"We've got history, but, to be fair when it became apparent that we'd no longer be likely to fight each other, naturally we warmed to each other.
"That tends to happen in boxing and we actually quite like each other at the moment. But if we were to fight each other, I'm sure it would only take one cross word for us to be worst of enemies again!"