Teremoana Teremoana has reissued a challenge to the country's top heavyweights, declaring he's the best of the lot until someone stops him.
The Australian heavyweight and Paris Olympian has remarkably been taken beyond the first round just twice in 10 professional wins.
Teremoana, 28, stopped Curtis Harper before the first bell in Orlando last month to make it seven consecutive first-round knockouts.
On Tuesday he locked eyes on his next target, with veteran Bowie Tupou having accepted the challenge on a month's notice to face Teremoana in Melbourne on April 29.
Tupou, 43, was a student of Jeff Fenech's and has fought Joseph Parker, Malik Scott and, most recently Joe Goodall after spending his prime based in the United States under Justin Fortune.
Teremoana won't take him lightly but the Queenslander, who proudly boasts Cook Islands heritage, wants more.
He has called out former NRL bad boy Nelson Asofa-Solomona but ideally wants a shot at reigning national heavyweight champ Stefan Ivic next.
Also in the picture is Alex Leapai Jr, who at just 20 improved to eight wins and a draw in a Sydney victory last week, and 27-year-old Justis Huni, who moved to 12-1 when he beat Frazer Clarke in London on the weekend.
"I keep claiming I'm the best, so until they step in and oppose me I'm going to keep claiming it," the upbeat Teremoana told AAP from his Brisbane gym on Tuesday.
"And I'll prove it on the night if anyone steps in the ring."
He has been dubbed by British promoter Eddie Hearne as a world champion in waiting and will be one of the main attractions when Hearn's Matchroom Boxing begins a seven-fight Australian deal for 2026 this month.
Australia’s interim WBC super bantamweight champ Skye Nicolson will headline the event against Mariah Turner.
"I want to be world champion and them being a worldwide promoter ... I plan to be a worldwide fighter and this is just the beginning," Teremoana said.
Meanwhile, Leapai also has his sights on Ivic's national title within a year, with trainer Noel Thornberry keen to keep his charge busy.
Thornberry told AAP he had invited American-born New Zealander Julius Long, who stands at 216cm, to back up his barbs after calling out the 20-year-old following last week's defeat of Veni Mafi.
May 30, in Gatton, has been set aside for that bout, while Leapai could also feature on super featherweight Jackson England's world title eliminator, slated for Perth on June 26.
"We'll clean out our whole backyard first, fight everyone in Australia," Thornberry told AAP of his plans for the son of former heavyweight title contender Alex Leapai Sr.
Leapai Jr grew up sparring Teremoana and shared rounds with Huni in the lead-up to the pairs' respective fights, leaving the latter impressed with his power and composure.
Elsewhere, David Nyika (12-1) looks set to profit from the IBF's decision to strip Jai Opetaia of their cruiserweight world title after his controversial, unsanctioned Zuffa Boxing debut.
The New Zealander, who is based in Gatton with Thornberry, will face fellow Queensland-based Kiwi Floyd Masson (17-2) in a title eliminator.
The winner will face Viddal Riley for a shot at the vacant title previously held by the unbeaten Opetaia, after the Brit beat Poland's Mateusz Masternak in the corresponding eliminator earlier this month.
Nyika, an Olympic bronze medallist and New Zealand flag bearer, was brutally stopped after accepting a late-notice challenge to face Opetaia for his IBF and The Ring belts in January last year.
