MUCH of the talk this week has been about a possible future fight between me and the new kid on the block, American super-middleweight Jeff 'Left Hook' Lacy.

I was delighted the young man from Florida captured the vacant IBF crown by beating Syd Vanderpool because Vanderpool is a loudmouth who, in the past, has called me names and claimed I was afraid to fight him.

The only thing I was afraid of was how badly I would beat him and Lacy's eighth-round stoppage of the Canadian proved how right I was.

As for me now fighting Lacy, I would be happy to take him on provided the money was right, but though my promoter, Frank Warren, has opened negotiations I can't see the contest coming off in the near future.

Although Lacy is highly thought of in America and among his fellow boxers, he has only had 18 fights, and hasn't yet got the kind of high profile needed to make a big-money fight, though he has got the backing of US TV station Showtime, who have also shown my fights in the past.

I think and hope maybe he and I have been on a collision course since we both appeared on the same Showtime bill at Cardiff Castle back in August 2002.

That was the night I defeated Miguel Jimenez while Lacy won in the first round against Jason Collins of Walsall, a fighter with a very ordinary record.

Lacy has obviously moved up a long way since then and though I think he and I could clash within the next 12 months, I would think he would want to make one or two defences of his title before meeting me.

A unification fight with him is certainly something I would be interested in.

I have been trying to unify the super-middleweight division for years but when Germany's Sven Ottke held the IBF version of the crown, he always avoided me.

At least Lacy is talking the right language and though I would probably have to go to America to make the fight, I would be prepared to do that for the right money.

I hope the fight comes off but, as I said, I think it may be 12 months away yet.

Meanwhile training is continuing to go well for my next WBO title defence against Kabary Salem in Edinburgh on October 22 and that's all I am focusing on at the moment.

Talk about fighting Lacy, Glen Johnson or Antonio Tarver is all well and good (not Clinton Woods, he has got no title to offer and a meeting with him would not be just one backward step, but two), but first I have to get Salem out of the way.

Sparring has been going well and the only real concern in the build up to the fight is the possibility of being ring rusty as I haven't fought since February.

But I have had longer periods without a fight in the past and returned to the ring in style and I expect to do so again and do a number on the Egyptian.

Somebody asked me if it was tempting fate for promoters and people to be talking about my next possible opponent before Salem was out of the way.

But the way I see it is that after seven years as champion, and having beaten allcomers, they simply have every confidence in me again doing the business.

And, of course, they are right because though he's a good fighter, Salem's not in my league and there is no way he can beat me.

However, upsets do occur in sport and one I am hoping will happen is Wales beating England in their World Cup soccer qualifier at Old Trafford on Saturday.

I have some good friends in the Wales squad, including Craig Bellamy, and I am sure this is one game the Welsh players would love to win above all others.

England will obviously start as favourites, and rightly so, but Welsh teams, both soccer and rugby, tend to play better against better opposition,

As Italy and Germany (both beaten by Wales) and Argentina will testify.

It will be tough, but if Welsh passion kicks in you never know what may happen and even a draw would be a terrific result.

A follow-up win against Poland next Wednesday would then reawaken Wales' World Cup campaign and end departing manager Mark Hughes' five-year reign on a high.

I'll certainly be breaking off training to watch the game on BBC 1.