Russian boxer Denis Lebedev hints he'll make a beeline for Britain after beating Shawn Cox in Moscow next month.
The WBA interim cruiserweight champion has been criticized in some quarters for accepting a mismatch in Cox, whom he is scheduled to fight on April 4, and suggested his next stop will be England, where fighters are more fairly matched.
“What I really liked about matches in England is the really properly well-matched fighters. Everything’s done honestly, there no favorite or loser beforehand,” Lebedev, known as the White Swan, told RIA Novosti.
“I’ve been there twice and both times I saw that it’s not clear who’s going to win until the last moment. I like moments like that.”
Cox, from Barbados, is not ranked in the top 15 by any global boxing body, but has a 15-1 professional record and won acclaim in February when he knocked out former contender Wayne “Big Truck” Braithwaite.
“It’s clear that the guy can fight hard and precisely. But we’re ready for that,” Lebedev said.
Asked about a possible return to Britain, where he knocked out Enzo Maccarinelli in 2009, Levedev said: "I think it's not far off."
Cox, 37, won gold at the 2006 Caribbean Games, when Cuba did not send a team.
Lebedev has a 23-1 record with 17 knockouts, and his only defeat came against German fighter Marco Huck on a split decision in 2010.
He clinched the WBA's interim cruiserweight title with a unanimous points win over former three-division world champion James “Lights Out” Toney in Moscow in November.
