Paul Smith hopes Andre Ward is far from his best when they fight in Oakland

Paul Smith knows he is the underdog but believes this is the best chance anyone will get to beat Andre Ward...

Andre Ward might be unbeaten but he is not invincible. He has the same weakness as most fighters - he's been down before, he has been hurt before, end of.

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I am not naive though, I am a realist, I'm not going into this fight planning to stay on the back foot and out-box him. No one's ever done that and if I am honest, I don't think there is anyone in the super-middleweight division who can do that - even if this is at 172lbs.

I will be bigger and stronger and I've got to get inside, rough him up, make him fight my fight. In my opinion, he beats most fighters by making them fight his fight. That is the key. Easier said than done but I've got to catch him coming in, catch him going out, I've got to hope he does switch off as well.

I know I need Ward to have a bad night and I've got to have a good night. I say that about other people when I am giving my opinion on Sky Sports, so I am being realistic, it applies to me more than most. One of the positives is Ward has had a long, long time out and maybe those bad nights come on the back of long lay-offs.

I don't want to him to be at his best. I know we all say we want to take on the very best, but there can't be a fighter out there who want to see his opponent being as good, as fit and as focused as possible when they climb into the ring.

I've been working on everything, putting it all in. I've been working harder than ever, doing loads of sparring and just making sure I am sharp and my speed is at its best.

I'll always have that all-round fitness, so the 12 rounds are no problem. You've got be has as strong as you can when you are going in with Andre Ward and I rely on my strength, so it suits me.

The ideal outcome is me catching Andre Ward cold, to walk onto a left-hook nice and early. That is the ideal outcome. But that is probably the ideal outcome for every fight!

I am hoping he is rusty and I don't want to him to be at his best. I know we all say we want to take on the very best, but there can't be a fighter out there who want to see his opponent being as good, as fit and as focused as possible when they climb into the ring.

I want to beat him obviously and I will make sure I do the best I can but it would be nice if Ward was nowhere near his best because I know I need every advantage going for me.

I am sure we would all over to see him boxing brilliantly to start with but me turning it round and pulling it out of the bag in an unbelievable 12-round war. That is the stuff dreams are made of but all I want is for him to walk onto a left, as early as possible. Get in, get out, that is the dream.

One thing that would be easier would be me sitting here bigging Ward up, saying he is the best thing since sliced bread. I know before his 19 months out plenty of people were saying he was perhaps the best pound-for-pound out there.

Well, not me. Floyd Mayweather has always been head and shoulders above the rest. Mayweather is Mayweather and he is up there on his own. I am not going to suggest Ward gets - or got - close to him. He is up there on his own.

Yes Ward is in the top five pound-for-pound fighters but he has had a lot of inactivity, been out for a long time, and that won't help him or done him any favours. But I always said the moment he was back he would be the best in the super-middleweight division - if he can get back down to 168lbs of course!

Carl Froch is but the moment that bell sounds Ward is the number one; people talk about Carl and Arthur Abraham being top of the list and these are two quality fighters, but Ward has beaten them both.

British boxing has been doing brilliantly over in America and the flag has been flying so I hope I can do that too. All I am certain is I will give it my best, I really will. I am going to give every last ounce and I hope and pray it is good enough. 

Watch Andre Ward v Paul Smith and Adrien Broner v Shawn Porter live on Sky Sports 1, from 1.30am, Sunday, June 21.