Cassius Chaney is a heavyweight with much more to offer than his afro...

Cassius Chaney has the best haircut in the heavyweight division and a 7-0 record to match. Let’s get to know the American with the big punch and the even bigger personality…

A heavyweight called Cassius. Rings a bell…

You've got to learn to fight because fights will come your way growing up in Baltimore, Maryland. Having to defend myself and getting into fights was because of my name, I think. I never understood why I was called Cassius. As I got older, I understood who Muhammad Ali was.

Tyson Fury used you as a sparring partner before he fought Wladimir Klitschko. Sounds painful…

I didn't have a lot of fun because we were working, but it's one of the best experiences I've ever had. Sparring with Tyson and Hughie taught me a lot about myself.

Where did you stay in Bolton?

In a house near Fury's gym, with all of Tyson's sparring partners. We had a little golf game that we played competitively - there wasn't much to do. We had a PlayStation 4 and we played golf and basketball games, they haven't made a boxing game yet!

The food in Bolton was… different. But, when I went to London I liked it. And Manchester was okay. In Bolton, it took a while for me to get used to it...

When you weren't getting punched for a living, was there time for any sight-seeing?

I spent two months there and I went into Manchester one day. I found a place that could braid my hair! I took a trip to London, three hours on the train. It wasn't bad. Manchester was pretty nice.

Did you mix with Tyson Fury outside the gym?

I got to hang out with him one day. I went to the Bolton Arena and we hung out with some exchange students, who were there for football. Tyson had to talk to the kids. It was cool, some of them were from Africa. They were the best at football for their age-groups, I guess.

Is Tyson as crazy as we think?

To me, he was cool but that might have been my personality too! He knew I was there to take it seriously and he respected that.

Who else have you sparred with?

Charles Martin, Dominic Breazeale, Gerald Washington, Amir Mansour, Eric Molina, Zhang Zhilei...

Did you expect Martin or Breazeale to beat Anthony Joshua?

I thought Charles had a better chance. I thought Dominic's foot-work was too slow, he's not athletic, he's not a mover. I thought Dominic would be target practice that would fight back. But skill-wise, I thought Charles would use his athletic ability. It just shows that there's not too many guys in the ring that are athletic.

I like Joshua, actually. There's not too many guys I dislike. But I've got a few things - once I can put them together - that will set me apart. I feel comfortable and confident in that.

Describe your style…

I'm an athletic boxer-puncher but I really feel like I'm a wild card. I'm still green, and I'm learning about my athletic ability and talent. I'm elusive and a sharp-thinker.

Talk us through that barnet…

The afro. You've got to bring it back. Nobody in sports has the afro so I thought maybe I could bring it back. I don't tie it back, it just sits up like it is. I tell everybody it's like an extra helmet! But I can't spar with it because the headgear is too heavy. The afro is just me, that's my personality.

It wasn't until I got my surgery that I realised how much I used my left hand - I couldn't play pool because I play left-handed! That matters to me.