Cromer's Liam Walsh hopes that beating WBO super-featherweight champion Gervonta Davis later this month will be a step towards a 'Battle of Britain' against Terry Flanagan.

Unbeaten Walsh challenges Davis at London's Copper Box Arena on May 20 and believes beating the American would help lure Mancunian Flanagan into making a defence of his WBO lightweight title.

'A great fight would be against Terry Flanagan,' said the 30-year-old. 'I have got so much respect for him and it is between him and Linares who is the best in the world.

'It is a huge fight for Britain, but Terry is most probably not interested in fighting me because I haven't earned his stripes. I think he is tight on weight and looking at moving up soon, but without sounding big headed if it was at 10 stone I'd still do it.

'People will laugh but I think I can hold my own at super-lightweight.

'Maybe someone needs to fill me in and bring me down to earth.

'I have just got self belief and confidence that I can hold my own up to 10 stone.

'People will think I'm an idiot, but until I am proved wrong I will have that mentality.'

Undefeated Davis, 22, has knocked out 16 of his 17 opponents, but Walsh dismissed his power adding: 'I have watched his fights on YouTube.

'He is hitting people with four or five clean punches and they are not going anywhere. For me, he has got the Chris Eubank Jr effect. He throws all these really good looking shots then he nails the guy flush across the chin and the guy looks at him. You think, 'that should have knocked him out', because it looks brilliant but he isn't knocking people out cold.'

Walsh is also a target, not just in Davis' sights but that of another Brit, Mitchell Smith, who wants to jump the queue and face him if he comes out on top on May 20.

Smith, 24, boxes on the undercard and will immediately target Walsh if both men win their contests.

He said: 'Too many British fighters are full of themselves, but just running from real fights. Give me a couple fights and I would love to take on Liam Walsh.

'It would be an easy voluntary defence to make and I'm sure there would be a nice couple of quid for Liam.'