JOSH Taylor, the Commonwealth Games gold medallist from Edinburgh, believes he is ready to step up in class after compiling an unblemished eight-fight record under the tutelage of ring legend Barry McGuigan.
But while McGuigan has expressed a desire to match his 26-year-old super lightweight star with Scotland's first three-weight world champion, Ricky Burns, Taylor has sounded a note of caution about the timing of such a bout.
Taylor, who is scheduled to return to action next month with a first defence of his Commonwealth title against South African Warren Joubert at Meadowbank Sports Centre on March 24, insists that the prospect of facing Burns does not hold any fears for him.
"I would be 100-per-cent confident in the fight and I believe if I was to fight him next week I could win," he said.
"At the same time, I need to get more experience and have more developing fights first.
"I believe in my ability but I have to be testing fights to know I am ready for that chance when it comes. It's a case of developing a bit more and getting greater experience because I don't want to rush and get chucked in at a level I am not ready for."
Some considered that McGuigan had jumped the gun when he secured a championship bout for Taylor after just six paid contests.
But the former world featherweight champion turned manager/promoter was fully vindicated when Taylor emerged victorious last October, securing a fifth-round stoppage against experienced Englishman Dave Ryan, by dint of technical knock-out, after dominating the contest for the vacant Commonwealth crown from the opening bell.
"The Ryan fight was good for me because of the names he had on his record and the fact that he had given them hard fights," he said.
"But I was very nervous and apprehensive in the build-up as he is very experienced. I did always believe in my own ability that I could beat him, but it was potentially my first 12-round fight.
"But by the time the fight night came I was absolutely flying in the gym. I had done three 12-round spars and I was more than ready to go for another three or four rounds.
"I was in the best shape of my life and I proved it that night. Now I feel more and more that I belong at this level."
Taylor stepped up to the plate again last month when he made his Las Vegas debut against Mexican Alfonso Olvera in a none-title bout.
Olvera suffered a similar fate to Taylor's previous opponents when the 27-year-old Tucson-based boxer was outclassed, a unanimous decision going against him.
"I won with ease," said Taylor. "I never had to move out of second gear, so I am now even more confident in my ability that I can go the distance and I'm developing well.
"But also, being critical of myself, I felt at the time that I had only boxed five or six out of 10. It was only when I watched the fight back that I realised that I actually boxed not too bad.
"However, in terms of putting the combinations together and my timing and even working off my jab a bit more, I can box 100 times better than that.
"But while it was an amazing feeling being on the biggest stage in world boxing, there was pressure on me to put on a good performance on Showtime and live on Sky for the first time and I learned from the experience."
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