Rising star Mikey Garcia insists his reign at the top of the sport is just beginning as he prepares to make the third defence of his WBO super-featherweight title against tough Mexican Juan Carlos Burgos at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday night.
The 26-year-old Garcia cemented his status as one of the rising stars of American boxing during a stellar 2013, in which he stopped highly-rated former featherweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez in four rounds in Texas before recovering from an early knockdown to defeat Roman Martinez in eight rounds in November.
Garcia is already being linked with a prospective bout against Manny Pacquiao as well as potential unification contests against his rival champions at the weight, such as Cuban-born IBF champion Rances Barthelemy.
Garcia said: "I definitely feel I've proved myself to be at least in the top 10 pound-for-pound. I am just starting as world champion and still have a lot to prove. I had some good fights last year but I am just here to do my job. I just take it one fight at a time."
Garcia kicked off his professional career in 2006 and won his first title four years later when he stopped Tomas Vila in one round in Corpus Christie to win the vacant USBA featherweight title.
Garcia's steady progress through the ranks continued as he picked up NABF and NABO belts before making his big breakthrough with a dramatic technical decision win over Orlando Salido to take his current belt also in Madison Square Garden in January last year.
In Burgos he faces a tough opponent whose only loss in 33 fights came in Nagoya, Japan in November 2010 when he was outpointed by Hozumi Hasegawa for the vacant WBC featherwerigiht title.
Burgos bounced back with five straight wins before unusually fighting two consecutive draws - firstly against future Garcia foe Roman Martinez and followed by a setback against Japan's Yakubu Amidu in Lincoln, California last time out.
As his carefully constructed career has proved, Garcia is not one to look too far forward, but he knows he has options should he dispose of Burgos, with a move up in weight in search of bigger name opponents a distinct possibility.
Garcia said: "We will have a look at the options after this fight. Hopefully everything will turn out well and we can move on with our plans.
"It's not easy to put a fight together and in this business you've got to look at everything before you can just move up in weight class."