Undisputed junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor would still be open to the idea of facing his idol, Manny Pacquiao. but the Scottish star is not convinced that a victory would elevate his career.

Last month, the 42-year-old Pacquiao returned to the ring for the first time in over two years and suffered a twelve round unanimous decision loss to WBA welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas.

The outcome was unexpected, with Pacquiao's performance being a shadow of his 2019 decision win over Keith Thurman.

After the fight, Pacquiao claimed that his legs cramped up in the early rounds and he was unable to properly move or make the necessary adjustments to deal with Ugas' style.

It may have been the final fight of Pacquiao's career, but the Filipino star is still open to the possibility of fighting again.

"It would be a huge honor to share the ring with him," Taylor told Give Me Sport.

"It would be great. It would be like a dream come true. But is there any reward in it for me at this point in time? I don't think he looked great in that fight [with Ugas], I thought he looked old, his timing was off, a bit off the pace. 

"If I then have a fight against Manny Pacquiao and beat Manny Pacquiao, it's like you beat an old Manny Pacquiao, an old has-been past his prime, so I'm not going to get any recognition for beating Manny Pacquiao. He's not the same Manny Pacquiao he once was, so although it would be a great honor to share the ring with him, I don't think I would have had any problems.

"But again he's forty-odd years old, he's still very dangerous, and it would still be a tough fight, don't get me wrong, I still think it would be quite a tough fight, but I would have won that fight. I don't think there would be any benefit to me apart from sharing the ring with my hero."

Taylor returns to the ring in December, when he faces mandatory challenger Jack Catterall.