IBF, WBA, WBO, WBC junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor confidently explains that he’s beaten a better level of opposition when reviewing the opponents on Terence Crawford’s unbeaten record.
Last month, Taylor won a twelve round decision over Jose Ramirez to unify the entire 140-pound division.
The last man to unify the 140 weight class – in the four belt era – was Crawford, who would then move up to welterweight to capture the WBO world title.
At the moment, Taylor has been ordered to face WBO mandatory challenger Jack Catterall.
Catterall is being discussed as the opponent of choice for Taylor’s homecoming defense of the unified crown.
However, Taylor is willing to go in a different direction if a better opportunity comes along.
“If a bigger fight comes along, then that might happen,” Taylor told Sky Sports. “You never know. We’ll wait and see what’s happening.
“I’ve spoken to [Top Rank boss] Bob Arum. He was like, ‘We’re speaking to Crawford, we’re speaking to Pacquiao, we’re speaking to Spence. We can make these fights happen, so it’s a mouth-watering time for me at the minute. It’s very exciting, the prospect of these massive fights, so it is huge.
“Obviously Pacquiao has got the Spence fight coming up, but [we’ve] made the conversations and the connections, and I’m pretty sure they’ve seen me fighting as well. Seen what I want to do is go up to 147 [lbs] so I’m pretty sure they’ll be interested in having those fights as well.”
Since both Taylor and Crawford are promoted by Top Rank – it’s the easiest fight to make.
Crawford would be a significant favorite to win that fight, but Taylor has defied the critics in the past.
“There’s always been a fight – Postol was a step too far, Prograis was a step too far, Ramirez was a step too far,” said Taylor.
“They were all too good for me and I keep proving them wrong, and I’ll prove them wrong again. I believe in my own ability. I believe I’ve fought better opposition than Crawford has, although Crawford is very, very good, he’s elite level.
“But he hasn’t fought the best opponents in his division. He’s fought good fighters, good opposition, but I believe I fought at the better level. I fought better fighters on the way up. There’s no doubts in my mind that I can win that fight. Same with every fight. If I said the complete opposite, you’d be worried.”