The six-rounder against Troy James [on the Bellew-Haye undercard] is to prepare for a more significant fight in the summer?
Itโs part of a bigger picture. Itโs about me getting out there and fighting. Itโs been a while.
Are you expecting it to be Yvan Mendy next, in a WBC final eliminator?
Iโm hoping itโs Mendy. Thatโs the fight I want. I want Mendy.
I shouldnโt have got in the ring that night [when they fought in 2015], for a fact, but regardless I did and I let people see a very weak version of myself. But Iโm just thinking now all round, in everything, Iโm better, Iโm more confident. Iโm bigger, Iโm stronger. Iโm technically better. Iโm better in every way, shape and form. But Iโm never one to talk. I always like my actions to speak louder than my words. So when we have a chat after the fight and I beat him, then weโll see the difference.
And itโs a chance to remind people how good you are?
I believe Iโm one of the best in the lightweight division in the worldโฆ But at the moment thereโs only one fight thatโs saying that, thereโs only fight Iโve had thatโs actually putting me in there. Youโre going to see a lot more of me and youโre going to see a lot better of me. Iโm excited. Iโm really confident in myself and believe Iโve got a great career ahead. Iโve never had it easy in boxing, from the start Iโve never had it easy in boxing. Iโve never had the easy route. And Iโve never asked for the easy route. I was always say to be the best, youโve got to beat the best. So far itโs what Iโve been on a mission to do. I was very unlucky against [Jorge] Linares. I could easily be sat here now WBA world lightweight champion. But they gave it to him on a split decision, I though I nicked it by a couple of rounds. But at the end of the day Iโm in the championโs back garden, on his turf, I needed to do a little bit more.
I still believe I should have won seven rounds out of the 12โฆ Iโm moving forward and I will prove myself to be a world champion.
Do you think Mikey Garcia will vacate the WBC lightweight title?
All I know is he hasnโt fought for the title in 15 months, which is crazy. The last two fights heโs boxed at 140lbs. But apparently heโs coming back down and heโs fighting at 135lbs now. Which you donโt really get fighters that go up and come back down. But heโs one of the best out there pound-for-pound.
So it could go Mendy, then Garcia for the title?
Yeah, if heโs thereโฆ He seems to be messing around the weights. Heโs even talked about fighting at welterweight, so itโs a bit confusing really, what his plans are.
Do you think that means thereโs a chance you could fight Mendy for the vacant belt?
Iโm hoping so. For me that would be the number one thing to happen. For me thatโs what Iโd love. Mendy certainly is a world title fight, weโre both one and two in the WBC [rankings]. Thereโs history there and I certainly think me and him is a big fight. Our styles clash very well, itโs going to make a great fight, an exciting fight.
Finally, how do you see Vasyl Lomachenko versus Linares going?
A lot of people forget that Lomachenko was a lightweight as an amateur, so heโs naturally a lightweight anyhow as an amateur. I was a bantamweight as an amateur. So the weight issue I believe is no problem whatsoever. I believe he outboxes Linares over the 12 rounds. (I thought I outboxed Linares over the 12 rounds). So I believe Lomachenko, his movement and boxing ability, I think Iโll outbox Linares over 12. The thing is Linares is a big force. Iโm not disrespecting Linares one bit. Heโs a big force, his power speed skill. You never know whatโs going to happen. I believe Linares is Lomachenkoโs biggest test for sure.