Josh Taylor is set to move up in weight after holding onto his undisputed champion status at super-lightweight via a split decision win over Jack Catterall last month; Kell Brook is weighing up his options after beating Amir Khan in spectacular fashion in February
Monday 7 March 2022 07:57, UK
Josh Taylor has refused to rule out a possible fight with Kell Brook but has admitted a 149lbs catchweight could be "too high" for him.
Taylor declared his intention to move up to the 147lbs welterweight division after controversially remaining undisputed super-lightweight champion via a split decision win over Jack Catterall last month.
Brook rolled back to the years a week earlier to beat Amir Khan, settling a long-running feud with a stoppage win in a bout fought at a 149lbs limit, a weight at which he is unlikely to want to go below.
Speaking at the British Boxing Board of Control 2021 awards ceremony on Sunday, where Brook was also present, Taylor was asked whether the Sheffield fighter was among those under consideration to be his next opponent.
"I'm not sure, anyone that's a big fight," Taylor told Sky Sports News. "I just want to be in big fights now. Coming into the last three-four years of my career now, I'm not going to be here for much longer so I want to be in big fights.
"I feel I've deserved the opportunity to be involved in big fights now for a good few years as a pro. I've fought all the best, world challengers, and come up the hard way, so I'm looking forward to being involved in big fights.
"That (149lbs) high maybe a little bit too big, but we'll see how it goes. You know what I'm like, I'll fight anybody and I'm not scared to fight anyone, so we'll see how it goes, as long as it's a big fight I'm here for it."
Promoter Ben Shalom, who was able to finally make the Khan-Brook fight after years of failed negotiations between the pair, thinks a matchup with Taylor is unrealistic.
"It actually was mentioned to me by some of Josh Taylor's team," Shalom told Sky Sports News.
"I think it's unrealistic. I think Josh will be 147, Kell, if he's going to fight again, it will be 149 minimum if not more.
"I think Josh Taylor wants to take on the elite welterweights now, the world champions, the likes of Terrence Crawford. He wants to look for those big fights now.
"I think Kell Brook, he's either going to finish now or have one more, so I don't think that fight is realistic."
