Jai Opetaia's promoter Eddie Hearn says a move up to heavyweight to fight undisputed champ Oleksandr Usyk will only be viable if the Australian unifies the cruiserweight division.
Opetaia takes to the ring Wednesday night on the Gold Coast against New Zealand's David Nyika on a few weeks' notice, following an injury to mandatory Huseyin Cinkara.
It's his first fight back in Australia since upsetting Mairis Briedis for the IBF title in 2022, with his last three bouts being staged in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi advisor Turki Alalshikh is a huge fan of Opetaia, with the Aussie's knockout power on full display in his dominant victories over Ellis Zorro and Jack Massey.
Opetaia has never lost in his 26 professional bouts and if he keeps progressing down the same road as Usyk, there's more than a fair chance a super bout between the two could be staged in the Middle East nation in the near future.
David Nyika will challenge Jai Opetaia for the world title. Â Getty
Usyk was the king of the cruiserweight division before moving up and becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion.
Already the IBF and Ring champion, should 29-year-old Opetaia win on Wednesday, a potential bout in May against Mexico's Gilberto Ramirez, who holds both the WBA and WBO belts, has already been discussed.
The final hurdle to become the undisputed cruiserweight king would be to unseat Badou Jack as the holder of the WBC belt.
"I think every fighter should want to unify their division," Hearn told the Jai McAllister Youtube channel.
"And I think that's the only thing missing from Jai's resume so far. Ramirez against Jai is one of the best fights in the division.
Jai Opetaia celebrates victory. Getty
"(It would be a ) brilliant fight. The WBC title is a bit up in the air at the moment.
"So they're the fights that are there for him. I do see a move to heavyweight.
"And when he steps up there it could be a Usyk, that's a massive fight.
"But you have to build your credentials and value to get a guy like Usyk in the ring.
"He's not just going to take a chance against someone stepping up.
"He wants to get paid a lot of money and know that it's a big fight.
"When we sat down with Alalshikh (to discuss Opetaia's future), the key was to become undisputed.
"Beat Ramirez, capture the WBC, and then move up. And that's still the plan".
Speaking ahead of Wednesday night's fight, Opetaia said he's enjoying fighting at home after travelling abroad the past few years.
Oleksandr Usyk after his win over Tyson Fury. Getty
"It's been a long time coming," Opetaia said about fighting in Australia. "We've done a lot of international travel, a lot of international fights so we're not new to these big stages anymore.
"It feels like another day in the office. We're meant to be here. We've done our apprenticeship. This is all just through to the labor, we've built this division on my back, so it's good, I'm ready, I'm sick of these interviews and I just want to fight."
Ramirez's record stands at 47-1 (30 KOs), with his last bout a unanimous decision win over Britain's Chris Billam-Smith in Saudi Arabia.
"I'm excited to be in this position, but the job is not done yet," Ramirez said. "My goal has always been to leave a legacy in this sport, and I'm looking forward to becoming an undisputed champion this year.
"Many options have been presented to my team and I, from [Yuniel] Dorticos to Badou Jack and Jai Opetaia. We'll just have to see what the future holds."
