Leigh Wood has admitted that he "didn't want to be there" for his heated press conferences with Michael Conlan.
A rowdy Belfast crowd welcomed the world featherweight champion to Ireland, and he alongside trainer Ben Davison were put under the cosh by Conlan and his older brother Jamie.
There was a repeat of the elder Conlan's accusations that Davison expressed a lack of confidence in Wood early in their partnership, as well as declarations that winning the title was the Irishman's "destiny"
But the hard-hitting Wood didn't seem to let the back-and-forth get under his skin, saying that he wasn't too keen on the mind-games leading up to the bout.
"I expected quite a hostile environment," Wood told Mirror Fighting after the event. "But there were a few people who turned up for me.
"I've boxed in Ireland a few times in Mayo and Dublin, I love the fans over here.
"I expected it to be like this, they're passionate about their fighters over here as they should be because boxing is a very hard sport."
Wood was flown to Belfast on a private jet, while Conlan arrived to his hometown on a British Airways flight to be greeted by his family.
But had the champion had his way, he wouldn't have been at a press conference at all, saying that he is laser-focused on the task at hand on March 12 at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham.
"I was just here because I had to be here," Wood continued. "I ain't a performing monkey.
"This isn't my style - bit-by-bit in these press conferences I'll get better but it's not something I want to be part of, it's not really me.
"The fame and money side of boxing isn't what I got into it for, I want to achieve the most I can achieve, leave a legacy and make history.
"Doing press conferences, being famous, getting media trained? That's not what I got into boxing for."
And Conlan, who was notably animated in their first meeting the day prior in Nottingham, cut a more subdued figure as he allowed his brother Jamie to do most of the talking at the Europa Hotel.
Who wins this world title fight; Michael Conlan or Leigh Wood? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
Dozens of fans were turned away at the door of the venue due to it being oversubscribed, and they were lively in their support of the hometown fighter ahead of his trip across the pond.
"It's lovely, this was a part of the whole razzamatazz of the fight so I'm happy," Conlan said after the event. "Belfast fans support their own and today showed that.
"It doesn't really matter, all these things are small wins along the way but they don't matter deep down to me anyway.
"He's a fantastic fighter, I don't need to say what I know I can do but I know he's very good."
Promoter Eddie Hearn expects that the bout, currently set for Wood's WBA 'regular' world title will be elevated to 'super' status by the governing body in the coming days.
Wood earned his belt with a stunning upset win last summer over Can Xu, before Conlan won the interim title by beating TJ Doheny setting up a purse bid for a fight which Matchroom Boxing won.
