Australian boxing is booming.
Aussie fighters are regularly challenging the very best in the world, winning belts and fighting in front of packed houses both home and abroad.
So it might surprise some to hear that Australia is currently without a men's world champion — although shout out to Australia's two women's IBF world champions, junior featherweight Cherneka Johnson and bantamweight Ebanie Bridges, for flying the flag.
However, that could change on Saturday night when Jai Opetaia mounts his title challenge against Latvian superstar Mairis Briedis at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Opetaia is just 27 years old, but this title shot is the culmination of over a decade's work, much of it in the spotlight.
When he was just 16 he competed in the heavyweight division at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Australia's youngest-ever Olympic boxer.
In London he was narrowly defeated in his first bout by Azerbaijan's eventual bronze medallist, Teymur Mammadov.
After appearing at the 2014 Commonwealth Games — where he also came up short against an eventual medallist, Nigeria's Efetobor Apochi, Opetaia moved into the professional ranks and has since notched up 21 impressive victories without defeat, 17 by way of knockout.
He is the young cub in this bout, but came across as hugely confident at Thursday's press conference.
"I've done everything right," Opetaia said.
"I know this is a big step up from my past competition, but my last fights, I blew them out of the water.
Although he possesses a formidable knockout record, Opetaia is a clever boxer, a southpaw whose movement makes him an elusive target and tricky prospect for any opponent.
Australian boxing doyen Jeff Fenech rates Opetaia as one of the most skilled, if not the most skilled big man to come out of Australia.
He's picked up three TKO wins in his last three fights despite boxing with an injured hand.
Now, despite needing surgery on a rib injury a few weeks ago, his promoter Dean Lonergan said that he is the fittest he's ever been.
"I've never seen Jai in better shape," Lonergan said.
"Right now we've got the number one, undisputed number one cruiserweight in the world, sitting across from us and I think this is the exact challenge Jai needs.
"Every time we put an opponent in front of Jai … he steps up."
Stepping up is exactly what Opetaia will need to do though if he is to become Australia's latest world boxing champion, promising that he is willing to enter "tough waters" and that the fight will be "a war".
Standing in his way is 37-year-old Briedis, a three-time world champion who currently has the IBF and The Ring belts in his locker.
Briedis has a record of 28-1 and is acknowledged as the strongest of the four current cruiserweight world title holders, ahead of Britain's Lawrence Okolie (WBO), Ilinga Makabu of the Congo (WBC) and French-Armenian fighter Arsen Goulamirian (WBA).
That one professional defeat came in the World Boxing Super Series semi final against Oleksandr Usyk back in 2018.
In one of the fights of the year, Usyk claimed a majority decision over Briedis in Latvia, convincing two of the judges to give him a 115-113 points win. The other judge scored it a 114-114 draw.
You've probably heard of Usyk.
The Ukrainian went on to unify all the world cruiserweight titles before outboxing his fellow gold medallist from London 2012, Anthony Joshua, to become unified heavyweight champion of the world last year — titles he will defend in Saudi Arabia on August 20.
Usyk, who is a southpaw like Opetaia, is rated as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world and is the latest fighter to prove that the cruiserweight division harbours some serious talent, adding his name to the likes of David Haye and Evander Holyfield, who both went from undisputed at 200 pounds to winning a strap in the sport's glamour division.
Unbeaten in his 19 professional fights, Usyk rates his 2018 majority decision win over Briedis during the World Boxing Super Series as one of his toughest contests: "The most difficult 12 rounds I've ever had in my career," Usyk said afterwards.
That's why Lonergan said a win for Opetaia will rate as one of the biggest in Australian boxing history.
He did add, though, that it might just be Opetaia's time.
"Mairis at the moment, he's 37 years of age, he's come to the end of his reign, he can't go on for ever and Jai is hungry … it's been feeding him for the last six months," Lonergan said.
Opetaia agreed.
"I know he's a great fighter, but I feel I'm the new generation of great coming through," Opetaia said.
"All that he's done, it's in the past now. It's my time now."
Briedis meanwhile cut a relaxed figure at the press conference, sporting a cowboy hat decorated with crocodile teeth and describing the two promoters as two little boys arguing over whose car is best when each was making their case for their fighters.
"He's very good technique," the softly spoken champion, whose Crocodile Dundee-style get up is just the latest of his dress-ups, said on Thursday.
"He's flexible, he's [got] good speed, he's a southpaw and he's in Australia, his home town.
"What we see in the ring is something different than what we see on the TV."
He also paraphrased Mike Tyson by saying that all the plans will change when the fighters engage in the centre of the ring — and once the first punch lands.
When is Jai Opetaia vs Mairis Briedis?
The undercard starts at 6:00pm AEST, but the two fighters will likely walk to the ring far closer to 10:00pm, if not later.
How can I watch Jai Opetaia vs Mairis Briedis?
The fight card will be on Fox Sport's Main Event channel from 7:00pm, with the first hour of the card on Fox Sports.
The fight will cost you $59.95 to stream on Main Event or Kayo.
