BoxingAfrica.com caught up with WBA & IBF world junior middleweight champion “Swift” Jarrett Hurd at the Gary Russell Jr.-Joseph Diaz Jr. fight. Hurd wants to unify all the titles, but there’s one more opponent he’d like to face before that: Kell Brook. 

 

Hurd (22-0, 15 KOs) may not have a choice at all, as the WBA has ordered a rematch between him and former world champion Erislandy Lara. Hurd, then the IBF titlist, wrested the WBA belt away from Lara last April in Las Vegas, scoring a knockdown in the 12th round to eke out a 12-round split decision win.

 

Hurd says he’d like to unify versus WBC world 154lb. champion Jermell Charlo (30-0, 15 KOs). The younger of the twin brothers, Jermell will defend his title versus Austin Trout on June 9.

 

Hurd wants one more bout, versus a righty, before taking on Charlo. Check out the interview here:

 

Regarding another Lara showdown, Hurd told ESPN: “I don’t want a rematch. I don’t know how long I can hold the weight class. I’m trying to become undisputed champ and I feel like I just beat you so that’s going backwards.

 

“What we want is a fight with Kell Brook because we want a durable opponent, somebody who will be competitive and a fight with Kell Brook would be really competitive.”

 

Last March, Sheffield, England’s Brook, the former IBF world welterweight champion, rebounded from back-to-back losses by moving up to 154 and scoring a second-round KO over Siarhei Rabchanka in a junior mid. Prior to that, he had lost his IBF world title when undefeated American Errol Spence Jr. traveled to the UK and stopped him in 11.

 

Hurd says that should a fight with Brook (37-2, 26 KOs) occur, it would have to take place in the United States.

 

“I’m the champion. He would have to come to me,” Hurd said. “I like that fight. He has a big name also. But I also think  Amir Khan is an easier fight for him because Khan is really a 147-pounder and I’m a huge 154-pounder, but we’ll see. Right now Kell Brook is kind of wanting the fight with Amir Khan so if he doesn’t take the fight with me, I’ll fight one of my mandatories or whoever.”