The term “Dog Days” is normally used to describe the period between late July and early August where the summer heat typically makes life uncomfortable. For Pauls, these came unseasonably early, and they had nothing to do with the sun.

“Mate, I had a nightmare,” Pauls told The Ring. “So, two months before the Shakiel fight I got a notice from my landlord. Long story, but they found out I had a pet dog when I wasn’t allowed one. Now there is new legislation to say you’re allowed pets but that is now, not then. So, when this happened, they said, ‘We know you’ve got a dog called Herbie and you’ve got two months to get out, brother.

“It just so happened that meant I had to start packing up literally the Sunday after the fight. I was aching, lifting boxes, but I just thought that’s an after-fight problem, so I didn’t start it until then. But that’s life, mate, you’ve got to deal with it.”

Pauls (21-2-1, 12 KOs) has grown accustomed to rolling with the punches and getting it done. Very few were picking him to beat the previously undefeated Thompson, who looked set to fight for the IBF middleweight title as long as he made it through his clash with Pauls on March 28 unscathed.

But such future planning had rubbed the Cornish puncher up the wrong way and inadvertently added extra fuel to the fire.

“The way some of the people were speaking to me in the buildup struck a nerve with me a little bit,” Pauls said. “They thought I was some cannon fodder who's there to just get a pasting. And this was happening to my face as well.

“I won’t name names, but at the press conference I was speaking to one of the main guys at Queensberry and he’s like, ‘When Shakiel wins, what we’re going to do is …’ like I had never boxed in my life. It really annoyed me, so after the fight I went back to the same guy, put my arm round him and asked him to apologize.”

Pauls’ ninth-round stoppage of Thompson was enough to boost him up to No. 8 with the IBF and No. 4 with the WBO. And while it was not enough to secure him a surprise world title shot, his reward was a quick three-month turnaround for a place on Saturday’s card at St Mary’s Stadium.

While Pauls is known as the Newquay Bomb due to his Cornish hometown, the 33-year-old contender actually has a deep association with Southampton, too. A spot on the event headlined by Ryan Garner and Michael Magnesi, therefore, made sense.

“I went to university in Southampton, so I’m very familiar with the place,” Pauls added. “I boxed for Golden Ring down there for four years, so it’s a bit of a home away from home for me. I’ve still got a few mates there, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

In contrast to his clash with Thompson, Pauls is a 4-1 favorite this time around over Coventry’s Bradley Goldsmith (15-1, 10 KOs). But the favored fighter knows all about the dangers of an underdog because he’s been assuming that role for years.

“That was me not long ago,” Pauls said of his opponent. “It’s very, very similar. I know that feeling of just wanting your big chance. But what I will say is I didn’t get here by accident and it has been so, so difficult to get here. I had to take some big risks along the way, so it’s not something I plan to give up easily.

“For most of my career, and in most of my big fights, I’ve been the underdog and it is a strange position to finally be a favorite. But this guy is trying to take away what’s mine and I won’t let it happen.”