Devon Alexander is another former champion looking to move forward. How highly do you rate him?
He is a former two-weight world champion so there is no doubt he is a top level fighter. I respect him and his achievements so I know I will need to be at my best if the fight happens between us.
Does it feel like a step backwards because you were supposed to fight him last year?
Everything has its time and place. Last year the fight was talked about but for certain reasons it never happened so now it’s just about me being ready for my next fight and not looking at the past. Alexander would be a great challenge for me so I hope it’s a fight that can come off this time around.
You were in Las Vegas for Floyd Mayweather’s recent outing with Marcos Maidana. Will a win over Alexander secure the fight with Mayweather?
I want to fight the best welterweights out there and Alexander is a top name in the division. I’ve got a good win over Luis Collazo in my last fight and my aim now is to get a win over Alexander if we secure the fight and then we can look at potential fights in the future. Don’t think for one minute I’m taking my eyes off my next fight and looking at a Mayweather fight because you can never do that in a sport like boxing.
You said you felt Floyd was slipping following the Maidana rematch. Is that still what you believe?
I think in his last few fights you have seen his standard drop a little. There are things that I have seen him do recently that you wouldn’t see a younger Mayweather do. He got caught quite a few times against Maidana with shots he wouldn’t normally be caught with and he doesn’t seem as mobile as he once was.
He insulted your accomplishments at the post-fight press conference in Vegas. How did that make you feel?
It didn’t really bother me. Mayweather is a great fighter and has achieved a lot in boxing but I’m pleased with what I’ve done in the sport too. He’s entitled to his opinion like anyone is but I know if we were to fight it would be an exciting all-action kind of fight. It would be like a game of chess because we would be looking to outsmart and outthink one another.
There is a lot of talk about a UK blockbuster with Kell Brook. Does that appeal to you as much as it seems to appeal to Brook?
Down the road it’s a fight that could happen but for the moment I want to fight the best and biggest names in the division. I want to challenge the very best but the Brook fight is one that appeals to me in the future.
Finally, after a tough period following the loss to Lamont Peterson at the end of 2011 you seem at peace and possibly at your peak. Is that how you feel?
Yes I’m feeling really good at the moment, training and working with Virgil Hunter. In my last fight I think people saw the improvement I’ve made over the last year and I hope to keep progressing in similar vein going forward. I feel I’m coming into my peak and the next year or so you’ll see that.
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