Brutal KOs and chasing a legend: The Australian sport star you need to know

Eddie Hearn figures "you have to search for greatness", perhaps in this sport more than any other. Subscribe now for unlimited access . Login or signup to continue reading All articles from our website & app The digital version of Today's Paper Breaking news alerts direct to your inbox Interactive Crosswords, Sudoku and Trivia All articles from the other regional websites in your area Continue Which is why he dreams of pitting Jai Opetaia, the king of the cruiserweights who grew up on the Central Coast of NSW, against the best boxer on the planet.

And he won't be feeding him to the wolves. "He's good enough to do it. I believe he is the only person right now, cruiserweight or heavyweight, who can genuinely give Oleksandr Usyk a real, real fight," Hearn said.



Hearn says it has the makings of an all-time classic. Usyk, the man who became undisputed champion at cruiserweight and heavyweight, against the man who for so long wasn't even getting the recognition he deserved in his own backyard. That is all about to change after Opetaia defended his IBF and Ring Magazine cruiserweight titles with a knockout win over David Nyika - which left the challenger motionless on the canvas - on the Gold Coast on Wednesday night.

Now, you'd figure, the Australian public will remember his name. Opetaia is the face of Australian boxing and the country's only male world champion. As his attention turns to unifying the cruiserweight division with Mexico's Gilberto Ramirez in his sights, Matchroom Boxing promoter Hearn is dreaming bigger.

Jai Opetaia is making a case to be known as the world's best cruiserweight. Picture Getty Images Hearn's long-term vision is a showdown between heavyweight king Usyk and Opetaia within the next 18 months in what could be the biggest fight on Australian soil since Jeff Horn stunned Manny Pacquiao almost eight years ago. "Jai is humble enough to not yet talk about the name of Oleksandr Usyk.

I'm not, that's my job. For me, Oleksandr Usyk was the greatest cruiserweight of all time. He became undisputed, and then he moved to heavyweight to become undisputed at heavyweight," Hearn said.

"Jai is going to pick up all the belts in the cruiserweight division to become undisputed, and then we want to push him into a fight with Oleksandr Uysk as well, to become undisputed in the heavyweight division as well. "To do it, we've got to pick up every belt in the cruiserweight division first, to give him the credibility. Trust me, in 12 to 18 months, Jai Opetaia versus Oleksandr Usyk is an all-time classic.

"Why not do it at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane or on the Gold Coast?" Opetaia's title defence comes weeks before Sam Goodman tries to do the unthinkable against Japanese sensation Naoya Inuoe, the super bantamweight champion who might just be the scariest proposition in boxing. It comes as talks open about the prospect of Tim Tszyu taking on Michael Zerafa in a domestic money-spinner , and as Skye Nicolson continues her reign as WBC featherweight champion. For now, the spotlight belongs to Opetaia, who sent Nyika crashing to the canvas during the fourth round in front of a sold-out crowd.

Watching from afar was Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi billionaire with pockets deep enough to make boxing's biggest fights happen. Opetaia's camp will target a May showdown with Ramirez, who holds the WBA and WBO straps, before targeting the WBC belt. "Ramirez, I'm coming for the belts," Opetaia said.

"We're coming for the rest of the belts. We're coming for them. I've been waiting for these fights for a long time, I've been chasing these unification fights.

I'm coming for my belts. "David, thank you. He took the fight on three weeks' notice, he came here to fight.

He gave me a dogfight, I respect that. I thought he was going to come out here and play games, he came here and he slugged it out. He wanted these belts, and he showed that.

I take my hat off to David." Share Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Email Copy Caden Helmers Sports Writer Caden Helmers is a sports writer for The Canberra Times. Caden Helmers is a sports writer for The Canberra Times.

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