STEVE COLLINS seems to enjoy re inventing himself. Labelled a braggart by many after his Tony Quinn inspired episode in Millstreet a year and a half ago, he is now a mellow family man who admits that his job bores him and that the end of 1997 may coincide with the end of his career as a boxer.

Before that happens he has other business on his agenda, however. His days of Donegal tweed suits, shillelaghs and Irish wolfhounds have been set aside and the ordinary working class has re emerged. Now we have a confident, experienced boxing practioner who feels that he no longer needs either hypnosis or sartorial gimmicks to prove himself worthy of the title of world champion.

Having beaten the flamboyant Chris Eubank twice, he has no fears about his status in the super middleweight division of world boxing. Yesterday, meeting Irish boxing writers in sylvan surroundings near Macklesfield in Cheshire, he seemed in no doubt about his destiny.

He says his Saturday night title defence in Manchester against Nigel Benn will not require him to go the full 12 round distance and that his previously negotiated six fight deal with promoter Frank Warren will be just that, with the Dubliner on top of the heap with his future and that of his family secured before he reaches the age of 35.

Collins did not disguise his annoyance about Benn's behaviour earlier in the week when the so called "dark destroyers" walked out while Collins was replying to media questions.

"He has no class. People came to give publicity to the fight and he just walked out. That is no way to behave. He fights without much intelligence as well. I respect him as an opponent and I do not suggest that he is an easy target for me at this stage, but at the same time I don't believe the fight will go all the way."

Confident that he can beat Benn, he seems unimpressed by those who are likely to challenge him subsequently or who stand in the way of his dream of becoming the undisputed super middleweight champion of the world.

He spoke of others who earned greatness and glory in the middle weights which are regarded as second only to the heavy weights in the public appreciation of boxing. "There are no longer any boxers around like Hearns (Tommy), Hagler (Marvin), Leonard (Sugar Ray) or Duran (Roberto)," he mused. He did not say out loud but the implication was there that Collins (Steve) was worthy of inclusion in that pantheon and that his position there would not be long delayed.

Not surprisingly his mind soon switched to the man whom America seems to regard as the "best pound for pound" boxer in the world, Roy Jones, the International Boxing Federation champion. "Jones talks about lots of people he would like to fight but he has never mentioned me. That is because he doesn't want to know me and he thinks that if he ignores me I will go away. He is on my list but I honestly believe won't agree to fight me unless he has to, because he knows he could not beat me."

When it was pointed out to him that one Genaro "Geno" Rodriguez from Chicago is to be one of the three ringside judges at Saturday night's fight in the spanking new Nynex Arena here in Manchester, Collins shrugged. He had to be reminded that it was the same Rodriguez who had amazingly voted for Eubank as winner in the Collins Eubank fight in Pairc Ui Chaoimh in September of last year.

In keeping with his new found relaxed mood, he scoffed: "Judges won't be needed on Saturday night. They are redundant already. And he won't be given the opportunity of voting against me because it will be well over before he will be asked to tot up his scores.

Coincidentally the referee for the fight will be Ismael Fernandez from Florida. He was a judge at the now historic Collins Eubank fight in Millstreet when Collins claimed the world title and Fernandez has subsequently refereed all three of Collins's defences, against Eubank (Pairc Ui Chaoimh), Cornelius Carr (The Point) and Neville Brown (Millstreet).

Asked if he would take any direct interest in the main supporting bout on Saturday night between "Sugar Boy" Malinga from South Africa, the World Boxing Council champion at super middle, and Vincenzo Nardiello from Italy, Collins admitted that it did not interest him. "I'll see it later on video but on Saturday night I will concentrate on Benn."

"Perhaps the winner of the Malinga Nardiello fight will be my next opponent but for the moment I have only one thing on my mind. After I beat Benn I will plan my future strategy," he said, obviously convinced that the future for him is very bright indeed.