Josh Warrington wants Lee Selby clash if he gets past Joel Brunker
Thursday 20 August 2015 16:55, UK
Josh Warrington has challenged IBF world featherweight champion Lee Selby to defend his world title at Elland Road.
Leeds' First Direct Arena plays host to Warrington's next bout on September 5 - defending his Commonwealth title against past Selby victim Joel Brunker - but the 24-year-old is already targeting a world title shot at the Welshman, who publicly doubted Warrington's credentials in a recent interview.
Warrington (21-0-KO4) said of a possible clash with Selby: "If I got offered that tomorrow I'd take it. There are a lot of people around me saying 'slow down' because we've done quite a bit in a short space of time.
"When I was only 23 I'd picked up the British, Commonwealth and European titles and a lot of my size of fighters peak around 27, 28 or 29 and I'm only 24, so I am still developing and still growing and still maturing.
I would love him to come to Elland Road, I really would! It'd be a hostile reception shall we say.
"At the same time I want to progress, I do want to take these big fights and keep on going. Like I say we'll see how it goes. If I keep winning and he keeps hold of that title, it could happen quite soon.
"I would love him to come to Elland Road, I really would! It'd be a hostile reception, shall we say. He says he will silence all my fans but I can tell you, even if he knocked me out he still wouldn't silence those fans.
"A big fight like that would be something special and his name has been thrown into the mix for some time now so to get a big fight for the world title would be something special."
Selby has tipped Brunker to halt Warrington's rise when the pair meet - live on Sky Sports - but the Leeds United fan added: "Lee's obviously going to say that.
"He's beaten him and Lee thinks he's a couple of leagues above me, so he's probably going to say that. And he was at ringside for my last one and he probably thought 'oh there's not much here'!
"But this is adding fuel to the fire; it's making me a little bit more determined and I am just going about business quietly. I will let my performance on September 5 do all the talking."
