The 34-year-old Launceston fighter is looking to break his US hoodoo in a fourth different division but knows his biggest hurdle could be a weight clause in his contract with Puerto Rico’s WBC middleweight world champion Miguel Cotto.

In agreeing to the June 6 clash in New York, Geale accepted he would fight at 71.2 kilograms instead of the normal middleweight of 72.5kg, which favours his American-born opponent used to competing in lighter divisions.

‘‘The guys with the money make the rules unfortunately,’’ Geale told The Examiner yesterday.

‘‘This was put on the table and was always in the contract: if you don’t want it, don’t take the fight.

‘‘Because he is not a natural middleweight they are trying to make me work harder to get down to that weight and hope that will make me tire in the later rounds and I’m sure that will play a role in the fight. They don’t want to fight a guy that is naturally stronger.

‘‘It will make things tougher but it’s a huge opportunity and I’ve got down to that weight before. It will be tough, but hopefully worthwhile.

‘‘Really this is perfect for me. I’ve been a middleweight most of my career and I’m fighting someone trying to step up.’’

IBF, IBO and WBA world titles were on the line in Geale’s two previous fights in the US and after losses to Englishman Darren Barker in New Jersey in 2013 and Kazakhstan’s Gennady Golovkin at Madison Square Garden last year the Tasmanian is excited by his first shot at the WBC crown.

‘‘It’s a title I’ve not fought for before and a chance to really make my stamp on the division.

‘‘They are all world titles with great fighters but I guess a lot of commentators would say that IBF and WBC are possibly the strongest and draw the most money. But really you’ve got to be pretty good to get close to any of them.

‘‘The chance to fight for a WBC title is something we’ve waited long and hard for.’’

Geale likens the fight to his two successful sorties onto German territory when he claimed world titles from Sebastian Sylvester in 2007 and Felix Sturm two years later and denies the June 6 date could become his career D-Day.

‘‘I don’t see this as being my last big shot. I’m going for a good performance and ideally a win.

‘‘The circumstances are very similar to when I went to Germany. This guy is huge in New York where there are a lot of Puerto Ricans and I won’t have many Australians there but hopefully I can keep the crowd quiet.

‘‘He’s a little bit shorter and quite a stocky fighter. Most of his career has been at junior welterweight with a few fights at welterweight and he has not had many fights since coming up to middleweight.

‘‘I’m taller and have longer arms which will help. The tendency in big fights is to go out and try and please the crowd but for me it’s all about winning the fight and you use your best attributes which for me are my height, reach, skills and footwork.’’

The fight comes at a hectic time for Geale whose wife Sheena gave birth to their fourth child, daughter Harper, three weeks ago.

‘‘It means life is very busy but I’m enjoying it and they are my motivation.’’