'I'm going to end you': Tim Tszyu fires shot at Dennis Hogan before Australian boxing showdown

Tszyu [17-0] enters as a short-priced favourite for his super welterweight bout with Brisbane-based Irishman Hogan [28-3-1] at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre on March 31.

But put those odds to Hogan and he tells you it is "mind blowing", adamant he is going to derail the Tszyu hype train to forge his own path to a world title shot.

Now Tszyu has used March 17 to issue a warning to his 36-year-old rival while his countrymen celebrate the foremost patron saint of Ireland.

"Dennis, I've heard what you said about me," Tszyu said.

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"Let me be very clear with you, I'm going to end you. This is your last fight.

"I know it's St Patrick's Day, but I don't believe in the luck of the Irish. You make your own luck and you create your own destiny."

Hogan says St Patrick's Day in his home country is nothing short of "mayhem", which is exactly what the man known as "Hurricane" is promising to deliver in the ring with Tszyu.

Because Hogan is confident he enters the squared circle a far better boxer than his rival despite a wide gulf emerging in the betting market in favour of the WBO's No. 1 ranked contender.

"It's mind blowing, but that's what happens when all the hype is on one person," Hogan said.

"It just causes tunnel vision towards that person and your peripheral is a bit blindsided. That's okay, I'll come in on the night and to anyone who has [bet] on me will make a few quid.

"It's just confusing. I see all eyes are on him now. He has had a few good wins, he has been built up here and that's just how they see it. At their own peril should they make odds like that."

Hogan's last two bouts have been ill-fated world title attempts against Jermall Charlo and Jaime Munguia. His stoppage loss to Charlo came when he moved up a division to chase a belt.

His defeat at the hands of Munguia has been widely panned as a robbery. Hogan looked as though he had done all he could before being denied by judges who controversially sided with the home favourite in Mexico.

It is in stark contrast to Tszyu's past two fights. He staked his claim as the face of the sport in Australia when he stopped Hogan's former stablemate Jeff Horn, before sending Kiwi Bowyn Morgan to the canvas twice during the first round of their bout in December.

Yet Hogan has a warning for anyone thinking an 18^th consecutive victory for Tszyu is a fait accompli.

"Even Jeff at his best was a welterweight, the guy he knocked over in the first round was a welterweight," Hogan said.

"Two of his best and most recent wins are against people who are genuinely of a lower weight category. Now they're talking about him and all of how power and everything else, but he didn't put a scratch on Jeff regardless of how the fight went down.

"That stuff wouldn't bother me anyway, I'm fully confident in my own abilities and I know I'll get the win here. Something inside me has just opened up and I just cannot wait for this fight."