‘If the fight is that easy, then take the pay-day’ is the message from Lewis Taylor, after Adam Etches recently backed out of a fight between the pair.

The war of words between the unbeaten Sheffield middleweights has escalated after Lewis’ promoter Dennis Hobson offered Etches £10,000 to face his man.

Etches has feasted on foreign opposition to build his ledger to 17-0.  Taylor meanwhile has taken on British foes but, after moving to 14-0, drew in September against unheralded Adam Jones.

After previously stating that he would beat Taylor, Etches has now since ruled out a derby fight with his rival claiming it would be a ‘backward step’.

“It would be a good fight, and the reason I’ve been saying about it is because so many people want to see it,” explained Taylor.  “I’ve had everyone coming up to me saying they’d love to see the fight.  Even people that don’t go to boxing have said they’d watch it.

“If he fought me he’d be fighting a natural middleweight, a British fighter who’d be coming to win.  It would be for a title, so it wouldn’t be a nondescript fight, and he’d get £10,000.  Like Dennis has said, whoever loses will still move forward.  It’s win-win.

“When I boxed Jones, I saw Etches in the crowd, so I knew I’d get stick about the draw.  Don’t get me wrong, I should be beating kids like Jones but he is very underrated, he’s a much better kid that his record suggests.  He’s game, he’s fit and he was training for a ten-rounder when we fought.  If Adam fought him, he’d struggle with him.  He actually needs to fight someone like Jones!  “

“I’d outbox Etches.  It would probably be points but I’d win by a big margin.  I’d love the fight, it’s the one people want to see.  He’s told people he would beat both me and Adam Jones in the same night.  If it’s that easy then take the fight and let’s prove who’s the best in Sheffield.”

“Adam has been vocal in saying he’d beat Lewis and he’s been disrespectful on Twitter,” stated Hobson.  “But we all know there are a couple of ways to backtrack out of a fight, you can be up front and say you don’t fancy the job, or you can make excuses about money.  So which is it?  If Adam is that confident of beating Lewis then it’s easy money for him.  We want it; will he accept the challenge?”