Lee Selby wants his next fight to be a British showdown with Carl Frampton

By Tim Hobbs

Image: Lee Selby would be willing to fight Carl Frampton in Belfast

Lee Selby wants an all-British unification fight with Carl Frampton.

The Belfast fighter admitted he was interested in facing the IBF world featherweight champion immediately after becoming the new WBA Super title holder with a sensational win over Mexican Leo Santa Cruz on Saturday.

Selby (23-1-KO8) was ringside at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn, and believes taking on Frampton (23-0-KO14) will be a "massive" event and is even willing to travel to Belfast to face him before the end of the year.

"I said before that fight I wanted the winner and Carl Frampton came through and that would be a massive, massive fight in the UK," said Selby. 

Image: Belfast's Frampton is now the WBC world featherweight champion

"We have a lot of mutual respect between us. Both of us are great fighters, both of us are world champions, so it would be a great fight. I would expect it to happen in Belfast but I would like it to happen in the Millennium Stadium if possible.

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"Boxing should see the best fighting the best and that's what I want to do. I don't want any easy warm-up fight I want to chase that big fight next."

Image: Warrington needs to join the queue, says Selby

Selby has made two world title defences in the last nine months but a proposed summer showdown with Yorkshire's Josh Warrington fell through.

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Warrington (24-0-KO5) beat Patrick Hyland on Saturday to cement his WBC No 1 ranking but has warned Selby he has nowhere left to go other than fight him later this year.

But the Welshman maintains it was Warrington who pulled out of their proposed showdown and believes the Leeds fighter now needs to join the queue to face him.

"He can keep chasing me and then pull out at the last minute like he did last time or try and fight Frampton," Selby said.

Image: WBC champion Russell Jr has the 'fastest hands' in boxing, says Selby

"If he went down the WBC route I can't see Gary Russell Jr travelling to Leeds to defend his title. I would stay clear of Russell if I was Warrington - he could end his career. He's got the fastest hands in boxing.

"But I want Frampton next, preferably before the end of the year. Frampton said before the fight he'd like to fight me and he said that in the ring after beating Santa Cruz.

"I want those big fights and that would be massive. It is one of those huge all-British unification fights and Frampton's already won one. He might have beaten Scott Quigg, but of course, I think - and know - I've got the tools to beat him."

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