Rendall Munroe says he will rise to whatever challenge is handed to him by promoter Ricky Hatton.

The Leicester southpaw overwhelmed Argentina's Jose Saez inside the first of a scheduled eight-rounder at Bolton's Reebok Stadium on Saturday night, a bill topped by British super-bantamweight champion Scott Quigg, who is a Hatton Promotions stablemate.

"I've boxed pound for pound the best in the division (Japan's Toshiaki Nishioka) and I believe I'm one of the best in the world at this weight," said Munroe.

"Whoever you put in front of me, I will deal with them."

Munroe appears to have been stung by some criticism of his previous two outings, the points wins over Andrei Isaeu and Ryuta Miyagi last year which, seemingly, were not spectacular enough for some pundits.

"I made a statement tonight," said Munroe after disposing clinically of Saez, whose 40th fight was not a memorable one from his perspective.

"I don't take criticism from anyone – apart from Jason (Shinfield, his trainer).

"Some people were saying I was a one-trick pony and the first time I faced anyone who stood in front of me and boxed me (Nishioka) he beat me.

"So in my last two fights I boxed clever and smarter – and there was still criticism.

"They were saying 'Rendall has lost his hunger' and 'he's not a real puncher'.

"So I came here to prove a point. I still want to be world champion."

Hatton said that he is committed to giving Munroe a second chance at achieving his dream.

"Rendall has been biding his time recently with these international fights while we have been trying to secure a world-title fight for him," said Hatton.

"Scott Quigg might be top of the bill tonight but people keep forgetting who is the No.1 super- bantamweight in Britain."

Former world light- welterweight and welterweight king Hatton added: "Rendall should be fighting for belts.

"We have to sit down now and see what raises its head.

"Rendall wants a world-title fight and I want to be the one to deliver it so that he can say he has achieved all his goals."

Munroe had cruised through his previous two wins, in April and September last year.

However, he was close to top gear from the opening bell against Saez, who proved no match for the Leicester fighter.

Munroe scored an early knockdown and then refused to let his rival off the hook as he finished the matter with 10 seconds of the first round remaining.

"It was excellent," said Munroe. "That was the game-plan.

"Jason told me what he wanted me to do and I went out there and executed it."