Linares took Crolla’s lightweight crown as well as claiming the WBC Diamond championship and Ring Magazine title to be widely recognized as the number one 135 pounder on the planet.
After watching Linares produce a superb performance in Manchester, Luis – a former opponent of Crolla-rival Derry Mathews – wants to be next in line despite initial talk of an immediate rematch.
“I think a fight with me and Linares has to happen,” Luis exclusively told World Boxing News.
“I’m a proven contender and he’s a proven champion. You put us in there and there’s no way our styles produce a bad fight. The fans will be the biggest winners. Let’s get this on. What’s a little Canuck got to do to get a fight?”
Asked his thoughts on the fight itself, Luis added: It went as I expected. I picked him to win in a highly competitive fight. I know people were writing him off because of his layoff and injuries, and his scar tissue, plus Crolla had the momentum.
“But I was looking at the fighters, not stats and betting lines. As good as Crolla is, I didn’t think he was better than Linares.
“Personally I thought it was Crolla’s fight to win late in the fight. He let Linares off the hook, but I won’t,” he promised.
Luis has two victories under his belt since losing a debatable decision to Mathews in Liverpool, although may have to join a queue behind Crolla and potentially the winner of Dejan Zlaticanin v Mikey Garcia later this year.
