Josh Warrington is bemused by contradictory comments from Kid Galahad in recent months as the Leeds fighter accused his featherweight rival of having "four or five different personalities".
The day after Warrington suffered a shock ninth-round stoppage defeat to Mauricio Lara in February, Galahad said on Twitter he would "focus fully on my story" and wished his former opponent "the best with his next chapter".
But after capturing Warrington's old IBF title earlier this month by outclassing British compatriot Jazza Dickens for the vacant crown, Galahad expressed his desire for a rematch with the only person to have beaten him.
Warrington eked out a hotly-disputed split decision win over his fellow Yorkshireman in a grudge bout in June 2019 and after becoming world champion Galahad said "he's not going 12 rounds" if there is a rematch in future.
Ahead of his rematch against Lara on September 4 at Headingley's rugby ground, Warrington said of the Sheffield fighter: "The kid doesn't just have a dual personality, I think he has four or five different personalities.
"You saw him after the last fight a few weeks back against Jazza and he couldn't help but mention my name then. I don't know. I don't even know who the real Kid is anymore with all this s*** he spouts on social media.
"The clown wants to get some recognition and he hasn't got any. I know he's only playing the game, but I don't play f*****g games. I'm a serious guy. With me, what you see is what you get.
"With him, after a fight he's 'cheers mate, you did the business, good fight' and people say he's surprised us. Then it's 'I'm going to put him on a stretcher if I fight him again'. Come on!"
Galahad had been chasing a return bout against Warrington after working his way back into a mandatory position with the IBF, defeating Claudio Marrero in an eliminator last year.
But Warrington elected to relinquish his title to pursue fights against other champions, which have fallen through after his first professional defeat and, in his place, Galahad became a world champion at 126lbs.
"I always knew," Warrington added. "It was my decision to vacate the belt, so I always knew when he won that final eliminator that he would fight for it eventually and there was a possibility he could win it again.
"It didn't bother me. In my mind I was going to be Ring Magazine champion and that looks over all the governing bodies. The world title is not dominated by the IBF.
"I had a few defences of it and I've got a fancy ring over there on my sideboard, which you get awarded when you have three defences of it. Congratulations to (Galahad), but that's it."
Warrington first became world champion when he outpointed Lee Selby before successfully defending the strap for the first time against Carl Frampton. On both of those occasions in 2018, Warrington – who then defeated Galahad and Sofiane Takoucht before coming a cropper against Lara – was a big underdog.
The 30-year-old believes rediscovering that siege mentality could be crucial against Lara, adding: "That helps with the approach of it. Having that back against the wall just brings something else out.
"When it's a given then people just expect a certain way and maybe I got carried away with that given but being the underdog, it's like 'Nah, f*** you, I will prove you wrong'. It just gives me a little kick inside."
