Eric Hunter questions Lee Selby's self-belief ahead of world title clash

Eric Hunter has mocked Lee Selby's American debut and claims the IBF champion has shown a lack of self-belief by asking for home advantage.

The American is the mandatory challenger for Selby, who has said he would like his second title defence to be staged in Cardiff this March.

But Hunter believes the Welshman has displayed mental weakness by seeking a return to his home country after a hard-fought points win over Fernando Montiel on his first US appearance in October.

"There is no other reason," Hunter told Sky Sports. "If you had a good US debut, you would come right back to the US and say, 'Yes I want to fight again. I liked it'.  

"From being so boring and nobody liked it, he wants to come back home. But I'm a great fighter, so he is better off fighting me in the US and showing out on me.

From being so boring and nobody liked it, he wants to come back home.

"If he is great like he says he is, he should say he wants to face Eric in the States and beat up on him. But he don't want that, he wants to have every advantage to beat me in his hometown.

"It seems like he is not that sure of himself, but I do think he's got good boxing skills. He wouldn't be a world champion if he had no type of skills."

Selby has suggested he will 'beat him up' if Hunter stands and trades, but the Philadelphia man insists he is the bigger puncher.

"I think everybody should know who is going to be the last man standing," said Hunter, who has 11 stoppages in his 21 wins. "The only reason why I don't have more knockouts is because of my hand. I had a real bad hand problem, so I would never go for the knockout.

"If you see my fights now, I'm really punching on those guys and they are going out.

"Everybody who goes for a world title should want a knockout, but Lee Selby is no one to take lightly. I'm taking him very seriously and I think I'm definitely going to come out with the victory."