By Lyle Fitzsimmons

If nothing else, Erislandy Lara has adjusted well to being jilted.

Though he considered himself a clear winner when matched with Canelo Alvarez, he hasn’t spent the 16 months since the disappointment result plying his sadness with ice cream and binge TV.

He’s OK. And he can talk about it these days without tears.

“My mind is that I won the fight,” Lara said. “In this game I’ve been though it before, like in the Paul Williams fight. Another fight where I won the fight but didn’t get the decision. Look, I’ve moved on. I’m a headliner. I headlined my own show in Chicago, which was a good show, and now I’m down here in Miami on ESPN. One of the biggest sports events, the day before Thanksgiving. I’m excited.”

Indeed, Lara will tend to his own business on Wednesday night about 10 miles from downtown Miami, where he’ll risk the IBO share of the 154-pound kingdom against No. 17 contender Jan Zaveck at the Hialeah Park Racing & Casino complex.

He’s fought twice since the Canelo detour, easily defeating Ishe Smith five months later and then copping the vacant IBO belt with an even more decisive verdict over Delvin Rodriguez in June.

“I don’t look back,” Lara said. “(Canelo’s) doing what he’s doing. I’m doing what I’m doing. I’m defending my title and I’m very happy with the money I’m making, I’m very happy with the whole scenario of my career. It was a little different when I fought Paul Williams, where I fought and then I was out almost a year. It’s a little different here. I’ve went on and I’ve been treated like the winner.

“With Al (Haymon) being in my corner, I’ve been treated like the winner. I don’t want to say I’m sour about anything. This is going to be my third fight since then. I’ve made a ton of money. Most important is just keep doing what I’m doing, and win.”

The PBC on ESPN card goes live at 8 p.m. ET.

I caught up with the Cuban-born Lara in South Florida on Monday night to discuss the Miami event, how he’ll make sure he stays on point in front of a home crowd and who he’d like to have standing across from him the next time around.

How important is it to fight in Miami and in front of your crowd?

I’m definitely very excited. It’s been since 2009 that I’ve fought over here in Miami. It’s something that I’ve been wanting. It is a home-court advantage but it can also be a distraction, so what I wants to do is just stay focused on the task at hand and put on a good show for my public.

How do you walk that line and make sure you stay on the correct side?

It’s experience. Three hundred-plus amateur fights and 20-something fights in the pros. It comes with experience. You know what you’ve got to do. You know the task at hand, and most important is defending my titles and putting on a good show for the fans. I just try to block everyone out. I’m not in Miami. I’m not in Vegas. I’m just in a boxing ring and I’m fighting Jan Zaveck.

At this point before a fight, what is the feeling? Nervous? Anxious?

Scale. I want to get on the scale. I wants to get on the scale, make the weight, have a good meal and just relax the body. Everything’s been done in camp. Now it’s just time to perform. It’s something I’ve done so often, it’s like going to a basketball court and playing a pickup game at this point in my career.

What did you think of Saturday night’s fight?

Me and Canelo are always going to be associated because we’ve been in the ring and there’s a ton of controversy. A ton of people say I won the fight. Obviously, Canelo fans think he won the fight. I saw the fight. I thought Canelo did a good job. The scores were very wide, so it just goes to show in Las Vegas it’s almost impossible to beat Canelo Alvarez. I thought it was a decent fight, but I thought Canelo was a little too strong and physically imposing for Cotto.

How did you score it?

Off the top of my head, about 8-4. But I thought it was 8-4 when I fought him, too. Minimum.

Do you need to put on an especially big show Wednesday?

Absolutely. No question about it. I’ve got to go out there and put on a great show. I’ve got to make it exciting, but I’ve also got to work in my game plan and my style. Most important is to keep showing everyone, every fight out, that I’m the best fighter in the division and I’m one of the best fighters in the world. Come Wednesday night, when you turn on ESPN and you’re watching, you’re going to realize you’re watching one of the best fighters in the world.

Assuming Wednesday goes well, what do you want next?

I’d love a Canelo rematch. I’ve got no problem fighting Canelo again. I’d love a fight with Golovkin. These are fights that guys are avoiding. I either want to get a big, big fight or at least stay active the way I’ve been doing. I’ve been in the ring fighting name guys, showcasing my skills.

Obviously the big fights, that’s the reason I’m in the sport. But if we can’t get the Canelos and we can’t get the Golovkins, there’s the winner of Danny Jacobs and Quillin, and there’s Andy Lee. All those guys are targets I want to get at 160 if I get the opportunity. If not, I’m going to keep conquering 154 pounds and defending my titles against the best guys who’ll get in the ring against me.

Lyle Fitzsimmons has covered professional boxing since 1995 and written a weekly column for Boxing Scene since 2008. He is a full voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Reach him at fitzbitz@msn.com or follow him on Twitter – @fitzbitz.