Austin Trout becomes the latest light-middleweight to target WBO champion Liam Smith

Austin Trout has become the latest light-middleweight to target Liam Smith's WBO belt, and the American is willing to travel for his title shot.

Smith has attracted glances from a number of big-name fighters since winning the belt in October and US-based star Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez is also thought to have opened talks about a possible fight this year.

Trout, who defeated Miguel Cotto during his reign as WBA champion, believes he was wrongly overlooked by the WBO when Smith and Thompson were selected to fight for the vacant belt, with 'Beefy' claiming a seventh-round stoppage win.

But he is determined to secure a clash with Smith in the future and is willing to face the champion in his own country.

"I hope to make it to the point where he has no choice, but we know Liam Smith, he's a bulldog, he's a fighter, and I'm sure he's not running from anybody.

If the WBO doesn't make him fight me, I'll go and get another belt and then we'll unify. But either way, if he keeps hold of that belt, I'm coming for it.

"I plan on being champion real soon and Liam Smith, he's being busy like a good champion should.

"If the WBO doesn't make him fight me, I'll go and get another belt and then we'll unify. But either way, if he keeps hold of that belt, I'm coming for it. I would love to come across the pond. I've been wanting to get back to England since my amateur days."

If a world title shot at 154lbs eludes him, then Trout would consider stepping up to middleweight and insists he would not shy away from the division's dominant champion Gennady Golovkin.

Asked if he would face 'GGG', Trout said: "Absolutely. There are a lot of people that are down to fight Golovkin. It's just not the right people that Golovkin wants. I understand he feels like he is on a superstar stage, but Erislandy Lara has been calling out Golovkin for a year now.

"If you look at everyone he has fought, they just all stand right there. The one guy (Willie Monroe Jr) who had good speed, had absolutely no power to keep him off.

"They are feeding him the perfect guy to make him look great, which I'm not mad about. I wish I had it so easy."

Smith's trainer Joe Gallagher is full of respect for Trout, but insists that he and the new champion's management team are still considering possible offers.

"Austin Trout is a good fighter," Gallagher told Sky Sports. "We've seen what he did against Alvarez and some thought he even won the fight.

"Liam is a world champion now and it's up to his team to make the right choice.

"When you see the likes of 'Canelo' and Austin Trout mentioning Liam Smith it shows that he's got their attention and respect."

Austin Trout will be offering a boxing clinic at the Sydney Fight club with former world champion Kostya Tszyu from February.