Liam Smith is ready to fight Chris Eubank Jr. after defeating Hassan Mwakinyo at the weekend.
The Liverpool native celebrated victory at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, when his Tanzanian opponent fell to his knees twice before the referee waved off the contest in the fourth round.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the fight, Smith was baffled.
"I knew he had quit in him. He quit there," he said.
"I thought he would quit after taking some stick and being tired and whatever else. He just quit. It's a proper strange one. I can't put my finger on why he done what he done as early as he did.
"[It was] then he landed a shot, then he went southpaw and then started coming for me a little bit," he noted.
Smith recalled a similar episode in sparring with him in years gone by.
"I knew he had that in him from the sparring," he explained.
"The sparring was just over two years ago. He was doing it, but to be fair he was doing it then taking a bit of stick. I was beating him up a little bit.
"I can't see why he done it [last night]. I understand doing it if he was taking a load of stick but he wasn't. He wasn't at that time. But probably knew what was coming.
"No one can really blame me for that. So I can only really do my job.”
Smith has already said he would fight Eubank Jr. as soon as possible, and he repeated his claim.
"They've got to deliver me a big fight so we'll wait and see. [This fight] was going to be over the super-welter limit because Eubank was going to be next," he said.
"If Eubank's not next, I'm a super-welterweight and I'll make super-welterweight again.
"I'll take any options as long as I get options of a decent fight. I feel I'm big enough and strong enough at the weight if that comes [at middle].
"It'll be interesting to see what happens with the titles now, even at 154lbs, it'll be interesting.
"I want to push to become a world champion but if they [Eubank and Benn] come in the picture, I'll take either one of them."