By Ryan Burton

This past May, unbeaten Cuban Yuniel Dorticos (21-0 20 KOs) traveled to Paris, France and captured the WBA interim cruiserweight title with a 10th round stoppage of Youri Kalenga in a brutal battle that surely will be one of the 2016 Fight of the Year candidates.

The Miami, Florida based Cuban didn't take much time off after the fight and is already back in the gym.

"I've just been in the gym and staying in shape waiting for my next fight. I am ready to go," said Dorticos.

While the heavy hitter wants to clean out the entire division, he has his sights firmly set on WBA regular champion Beibut Shumenov.

Shumenov recently put out a press release demanding that the WBA - who is in the process of consolidating its champions - order a fight between WBA super champion Denis Lebedev (who also holds the IBF title) and himself.

With Lebedev likely to take care of his IBF mandatory challenger next, Dorticos believes that he and Shumenov should fight with the winner getting a crack at Lebedev.

"Look, I don't know what the deal is with this Shumenov character. All he wants to do is talk about Lebedev and he forgets that I am here. You want to fight? Then let's fight! We will see who the real champion is. At the end of the day Shumenov is a paper champion," Dorticos remarked.

Dorticos bout versus Kalenga on May 20th had been billed as being for the vacant WBA cruiserweight title for many weeks before the fight occurred but during fight week it was changed to being for the interim title.

Shumenov, who had actually won the interim title with a disputed points win over BJ Flores in July, 2015, was then elevated to the regular champion when he knocked out Junior Wright the day after Dorticos stopped Kalenga. 

"When I went to Paris, France I was going to fight for the WBA cruiserweight title and Shumenov tried to make these last minute changes and appeals and bullsh*t to change it from the world title fight. All he does is run his mouth. He knows what is going to happen if he fights me," said Dorticos.

The 30-year-old Dorticos finished our conversation with this message for Shumenov.

"Let's give the fans what they want. You are a paper champion. Stop running like a little chicken chasing Lebedev and fight me. You already saw what happened to Kalenga and that is going to happen to you too. You can run but you can't hide. The KO Doctor is coming after you," Dorticos told BoxingScene.com.

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