JACK Cullen has the potential to be a world champion, according to his coach Tommy Battel.

Cullen looks to extend his 100-per-cent winning professional record to eight in Manchester tonight.

But his long-time trainer Battel believes this is just the start, saying his protege has not even begun show what he is capable of yet.

“I think he could be world champion,” Battel told The Bolton News.

“I’ve been in this game long enough; I worked with Amir Khan when he was a kid.

“Jack has only shown 25 per cent of what he’s got.

“He was the worst kept secret in amateur boxing. Everyone knew about him and talked about him. He filled seats in amateur fights.”

Cullen, who has just turned 24 and goes by the boxing nickname Little Lever Meat Cleaver, fights on a bill at Victoria Warehouse tonight as part of a UK versus Africa contest in which he will fight Johanny Bola over six rounds.

The event will be broadcast live by American TV channel ESPN and be available to watch in 34 countries, giving Cullen a chance to get noticed which he is desperate for.

Battel said: "This is going to be good exposure, especially as we’re expecting he’s going to do a number on this kid.

“We never know what’s going to come across from that, somebody might come over with a good deal or bout for us.”

As well as being busy fighting in the ring in his first 13 months as a professional, Cullen has also sparred with top professionals including Liverpool’s super-middleweight Callum Smith, who has held British and European titles.

“We fully expect to get called back by these guys,” said Battel. “Jack gives them a fright, he doesn’t give them an easy ride and he comes back with shining compliments.

“We want to move it on from just being a sparring partner to actual fights.”

One factor Cullen and Battel have been working on recently is the Little Lever fighter's food intake.

“We’re looking a bit more on the dietary side this time," said Battel.

"We’re doing more of an alkaline diet, basically a green diet. This has been our best training camp for dieting, everything’s going well.”

And Cullen is pleased with the way training has gone ahead of tonight's fight.

“It's gone really well,” he said. “Everything is good and my weight is perfect.

“I get up at half six or seven o’clock, take my dog for a walk and then train in the morning 10 until 12, then I have a rest and come back to train from six until half eight or nine."