Monday 22 December 2014 13:56, UK
Adonis Stevenson insists he would welcome a world title unification fight against Sergey Kovalev if he defeats Dmitry Sukhotsky.
The 37-year-old defends his WBC light-heavyweight title against the Russian challenger in Quebec on Friday night.
But Stevenson has been unable to avoid questions about a future fight with fellow champion Kovalev, who holds the WBA, IBF and WBO titles after his impressive points win over ring legend Bernard Hopkins.
Kovalev has accused Stevenson of avoiding him but the Canada-based Haitian says he is willing to face his rival in 2015.
“The fight that is huge is Kovalev and me because the world needs this fight,” said Stevenson. “They don’t just want to watch that in Quebec City - they want to watch that all over.”
Stevenson must first get past Sukhotsky, who has suffered just two defeats in 24 fights.
The 33-year-old brushed aside former European champion Eduard Gutknecht in five rounds and has gained the respect of the belt holder.
“He's not here as a tourist," said Stevenson. "He's a tough guy who has trained for 12 rounds. He's in top condition, and I'll definitely have to be careful.
"I'm not going to rush in. I'm going to take my time to work him over and then finish him off."
