Hello to you all from the beautiful city of Niagara Falls in the Province of Ontario, Canada! I arrived here from London with my brother Lee last Friday and the eight-hour flight left us both a feeling a little tired and jaded. Time-wise, we’re five hours behind everybody back home so the jetlag wasn’t too bad but I must admit that I took things a little easy over the weekend. I did get out for a run on Saturday but the serious training started for me last Monday.

I sparred with Steve Rolls, an up and coming young Canadian middleweight fighter who I think is destined for big things in the near future. He’s a good lad and I think we both enjoyed our time in the ring and I’ll be sparring with him again over the next week weeks.

I’m working out in Boones Gym which is a great place. It’s ideal and has everything I need to get myself ready to face Martinez. Tony came out a couple of days after Lee and I had arrived and although I was keeping to my training schedule, I always feel I’ve done that little bit extra when he’s around because he makes sure that there’s no slacking!

Lee is acting as my chef and although the grub he’s serving up isn’t too bad, it doesn’t go a patch on Frankie’s Restaurant at Stamford Bridge, one of my favourite eating places in London so it’s back to the day job for my little brother when we get back home!

The weather here has been great and to top it all, the people we’ve met since we’ve been in Canada have been really good to us. They’re nice people and, best of all they’re all supporting me and hoping that I’ll do well in my bid to take the title from Martinez.

I knew before I came out here that it would be hard missing my loved ones so I’m glad that I spent some quality time with my Granddad, my Mum and Dad and my sister before I left London. I can’t stop thinking about my girlfriend Gem and our darling daughter Scarlett Rose and although I can talk to them over the phone, it’s not quite the same as being there with them.

One thing that has kept me going though is Chelsea’s results. They’re still unbeaten in the Premier League and kicked off their Champions League campaign with a good win against Beyer Leverkusen on Tuesday night.

I’ll be cheering them on via television when they play Man Utd on Sunday and I’m positive they won’t come off as badly as my brother’s lot did when they went up there a few weeks ago. He’s a Gooner and was well upset when Ferguson’s side put eight past them although I quite enjoyed that result! Hang on… I’d better stop there because I don’t want Lee spitting in my grub!

Speak to you all next week – keep well!