LONDON -- Lee Selby expects to face British rival Josh Warrington next after making a successful fourth title defence against Eduardo Ramirez on Saturday.
Welshman Selby retained his IBF world featherweight title with unanimous scores of 118-110, 119-109 and 116-112 over Ramirez (20-1-3, 7 KOs), who could not have won the title anyway after failing to make weight.
Selby (26-1, 9 KOs) delivered a commanding display, showing slick movement and combinations, on the bill as his fellow Briton James DeGale lost his IBF super-middleweight title in a points defeat to American Caleb Truax at the Copper Box Arena in London.
A fight against Warrington (26-0, 6 KOs), his mandatory challenger, in his rival's home city of Leeds is likely to be announced for spring 2018 before the end of this month. Selby had beer thrown at him the last time he watched Warrington fight in Leeds.
"They can throw what they want, I've had worse thrown at me than p---," Selby said. "It's expected that I will get a hostile reception. We've sort of exchanged words in the past but a fight between Josh and I would be massive and fantastic for British boxing."
Selby was happy with the win over a previously unbeaten opponent who proved stubborn and ambitious despite failing to make weight.
"It was a good win, he kept coming and coming," said Selby in his changing room after. "He was pretty tough and it was a big chance for him to upset me. There was a lot more for me to work on though -- the mistakes I made I will work on."
Victory ended a difficult 2017 for Selby. A title defence against Argentina's Jonathan Barros in Las Vegas in January was postponed at less than a day's notice and four days before the rearranged fight was due to take place on July 15, Selby's mother Frankie suddenly died.
After out-pointing Barros, Selby was left disappointed when a big fight against Northern Ireland's Carl Frampton, the former WBA titleholder, failed to materialise.
"That's lIfe, it has been a tough year but there's no point sitting around moaning about it," Selby said. "I've boxed three times this year and I'd like to do that next year if possible and still be world champion.
"If I can beat Warrington and then Frampton, I will be big enough to bring a big name to the Principality Stadium [in Cardiff]."