The Dorchester-born Cook is competing here for Moldova after missing out on the London 2012 when Muhammad was controversially awarded the under 80 kilogram place.

“There’s no secret that we are huge rivals, and it’s a huge fight, not just for the welterweight division, it’s a huge fight for taekwondo, so I hope it happens,” said the 24-year-old Muhammad, born in Walthamstow, just a few miles from the Olympic Stadium in London.

“Sport I think is elevated when you have great rivalries in it.

"So when you have Muhammad Ali v Joe Frasier, or Sugar Ray Leonard against Tommy Hearns, Marvin Hagler - that’s what makes sport great, that’s what makes people want to tune in.

“This is one of the biggest, if not the premier rivalry in our sport, so I look forward to that fight.

“Aaron and I don’t have any personal relationship aside from bowing at each other and shaking hands in the ring - that’s about as much of a relationship as we have.

"And that’s how I want to keep it.

"It’s strictly business.

"It’s all about the fighting when it comes to the two of us.”

Muhammad’s boxing education came care of his father Wayne, an ex-boxer with more than four decades of experience in martial arts who had got his son started on taekwondo by the time he was three.

“I’m a huge boxing fan,” Muhammad said as he relaxed in the fierce sunshine in the Village square within the Baku 2015 Athletes Village.

“My dad was an ex-boxer so I grew up watching lots of the tapes.

“He’d put on Ali and make me study his footwork, he’d make me look at the tenacity of Jack Dempsey, look at the way Joe Louis would stalk down his opponent and finish him with a combination, the way Sugar Ray would put combinations in.”

Asked why his dad never got him started on boxing, Muhammad responded with a laugh:  “I’ve asked my dad that many times, because I started this at age three on his instructions, so I’ve said to him, ‘Why didn’t you give me some boxing gloves aged three, then we would be in a different position!’ 

"But no, no, I love this sport, I feel very blessed to be here. 

"I’ve always been attracted to the martial arts, but anything combat-based I have a strong interest in.”

Not so long ago it looked as if Muhammad would not be here because of a problem with his left knee requiring keyhole surgery.

But he has recovered in the space of five weeks following a gruelling rehabilitation which has involved testing the flexibility and strength of the joint by  working in a long jump sandpit.

“It was very hard work, both physically and mentally,” whose under 80kg spot at the recent World Championships was taken by team-mate Damon Sansum, who defeated Cook in the semi-finals before earning silver.

“But I have learned I have the ability to get through something like this.

"Now the more competition I can get the better, all the way to Rio. I want to be a sharp as possible and I stay sharp by fighting.”

“It was good to see Bianca go on and win a world title a couple of months after having a major surgery,” he said.

“There’s always that positive view in the team that we can come back from injury and we can come back better and that’s what I intend to do here.”

In the meantime Walkden, Cook’s girlfriend, says she has seen him about in the Villlage.

“He arrived yesterday,” she said.

“I saw him walking to the gym in his Moldovan tracksuit.

"I’m used to it now.

"We make loads of jokes about it.

"I make fun of him all the time.

"That’s just boyfriend and girlfriend.”

She’s prepared to mask her feelings here if Cook and her British team-mate do end up meeting, which they are seeded to do in the semi-finals, having had to watch her boyfriend lose the World Championships  semi-final to Sansum last month.

“Well I’m used to it aren’t I?” she said.

“Because he fought Damon at the worlds. He’s fought Lutalo before and fought Damon a number of times.

"And I’ve always stood there and watched.

"But it’s quite difficult knowing whether to cheer or not to cheer…”

Related stories
April 2015: Taekwondo star Cook cleared to compete for Moldova despite “no legitimate case for nationality change”, says Britain
April 2015: Taekwondo world number one Cook receives Moldovan passport in bid to switch nationality from Britain
February 2015: British taekwondo world number one Cook set to compete for Moldova at Rio 2016
December 2012: Cook to switch to Isle of Man following London 2012 snub
October 2012: Cook considers nationality switch following GB Taekwondo London 2012 snub