Wednesday 28 June 2017 10:50, UK
Natasha Jonas believes there is a huge public appetite to see her fight former amateur foe Katie Taylor in the paid ranks.
Liverpool lightweight Jonas dazzled on her first outing since stepping away from the sport in 2015, ruthlessly stopping Poland's Monika Antonik just 92 seconds into her pro debut in Newcastle on Friday night.
Jonas - the first British female in history to don a Team GB vest at the Olympics - enjoyed a healthy amateur rivalry with Taylor, with the pair involved in a memorable clash at London 2012, ending in victory for the Irish sensation en route to winning the gold medal.
Taylor's blistering start to life in the paid ranks saw her win her first five fights in the space of five months since turning pro last November, and Jonas admits there is every chance the pair could share a ring again in the future.
She told Sky Sports: "Everyone who watched that Olympic quarter-final between Katie and I, everyone who was there, saw it, or heard it, will know what the atmosphere was like and the standard that we can both perform to.
"That is a big fight that is there [on the horizon] for the two of us and it is a fight that people want to see as well, which is the main thing.
"She knows it's potentially a big fight, I know it's a big fight but we're both on our own separate paths and separate journeys. If that means the two of us meeting in the end to unify belts or whatever it is then that is what we'll do.
"But it has to be right for me. Katie has already had six professional fights so I know she is a good six months to a year ahead of me and I have to catch that up plus there is the fact that I was out for a long time [before my last fight].
"As physically fit as you can be there is nothing like being boxing fit and I know I am playing catch up and I have to get back into it. I will only box her when I know the time is right for me."
Jonas is used to fielding questions about a mouthwatering potential showdown against Taylor and says a clash with the Bray boxer can be a defining moment in the modern-day history of women's boxing in this country.
"I know I'm always going to get asked about fighting Katie and I know she's always going to get asked about it as well." Jonas said.
"It was actually [fellow professional and London 2012 boxing captain] Tom Stalker - who was watching her debut with me - that planted the seeds of a comeback in my mind.
"Every sport has their defining athletes, defining rivalries and defining moments.
"Ronda Rousey was massive in UFC, and in women's boxing we've seen legends like Christy Martin, Lucia Rijker and Jane Couch.
"They've all had their time and had their day and have been massively successful, and I think Kate and I can now be the spark that puts women's boxing firmly in the eyes of the next generation."
