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DAMAGE: Sipho Taliwe, right, throws a punch at Warren Joubert during their clash at Wembley Arena recently.Photo: Bafana Mahlangu

 Truly speaking, the most important thing to me at the moment is winning my fights and not looking at what people think about me as a boxer 

But the current World Boxing Council (WBC) International junior-lightweight champion says he is not bothered at all.

Taliwe says he doesn't mind being underrated as long as he keeps doing a fine job inside the ring.

The Aliwal North-born boxer has been doing more talk with his gloves than anything else and his incredible run in the past five years bears testimony to that.

Taliwe has won nine of his past 10 fights with the other ending in a draw since his points loss to Gabriel Phakula in Johannesburg on November 18 2006.

And as he is preparing for his fight against Joey Stiglingh, Taliwe says people will ultimately give him the respect he deserves.

He will be making a third defence of his WBC International crown when he squares up against Stiglingh at Emperor's Palace in Kempton Park on March 3.

"Truly speaking, the most important thing to me at the moment is winning my fights and not looking at what people think about me as a boxer," the former South African junior-lightweight champion said.

"I have been training very hard for this fight and I'm confident that I will continue winning. I only spent two weeks at home in Aliwal North during the festive season and then returned to Johannesburg to prepare for this fight."

Taliwe believes a win against Stiglingh will be a welcome birthday present as he will turn 31 less than a fortnight after the contest.

And he has said that Stiglingh is like an open book to him.

"I know Joey very well as I used to help him before his fights. He gets very busy when he's inside the ring and commits a number of mistakes in the process," said Taliwe.

"I'm sure he thinks he knows me as we have sparred against each other. I'm going to shock him as I will come up with a new strategy to counter whatever plans he has for the fight."

Taliwe has a professional record of 14 victories (10 knockouts), draw and two losses while Stiglingh's stands at 14 wins (eight KOs) and a loss.