After Jai Opetaia’s overwhelming knockout of David Nyika, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn now believes that the Australian boxer is the only one who can challenge heavyweight superstar Oleksandr Usyk.

The impressed Hearn, has termed the IBF cruiserweight titlist as the only legitimate contender to the unified heavyweight champion Ukrainian’s Oleksandr Usyk.

“What a fight,” Hearn said. “Firstly, huge credit to David Nyika because I think he showed huge heart.

I believe (Nyika) will be world champion, just not tonight against not just the best cruiserweight in the world but one of the top pound for pound fighters in the world in Jai Opetaia,” he said in a press conference after the fight.

Further, Eddie Hearn has indicated that they’ll be shifting their attention to making a match against Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez for the Australian’s Jai Opetaia as he targets to unify the division as well as ultimately make a push for an Oleksandr Usyk bout.

“Zurdo is a much more experienced fighter than David Nyika so it’s a real fight, but Zurdo should want to take that fight, he should want to prove he’s the best, he should try to unify the division.

We know the payday will be there and hopefully we can make it happen.”

“We have to try and make that Ramirez fight next and then we’ve got to try to grab that WBC and then the fight with Usyk starts to actually look it could be a possibility. You have to aim for that. If you’re going to be undisputed at cruiserweight you have to look to move up to heavyweight, and that’s the aim for Jai,” said Hearn.

Jai Opetaia’s knockout win over David Nyika has possibly made him move up to heavyweight. Therefore, Hearn hopes that they will then convince the sport’s new billionaire match-maker to fund the fight between Opetaia and Usyk.

“He’s probably the only guy who I think can truly compete with Usyk,” said Hearn ahead of Opetaia’s (26-0) highly anticipated homecoming on the Gold Coast.

Perhaps Usky’s hardest challenge came at cruiserweight against Mairis Briedis, who Jai Opetaia excellently beat despite breaking his jaw twice in his last Australian start two years ago, and then again in May last year.

Therefore, it is upon Saudi billionaire Turki Alalshikh, a royal advisor and chairman of the country’s entertainment authority, to ensure that the fight is convened.

Prior to their clash, both athletes have prior fought in the Kingdom, Opetaia’s last three victories left a mark on the individuals who matter.

“Look at what Usyk did … at this stage he wants the money fights so if we can convince the likes of His Excellency that Opetaia against Usyk is a classic, then maybe it’ll happen,” said Hearn.