Dean Longeran, promoter for newly crowned IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia, is open to the idea of matching his boxer against the winner of the upcoming clash between Chris Billam-Smith and Isaac Chamberlain.
Billam-Smith and Chamberlain will collide on July 30 in Bournemouth, live on Sky Sports.
Earlier this month, Opetaia shocked the division when he outboxed longtime champion and heavy favorite, Mairis Briedis, over twelve rounds to capture the title.
Lonergan wants to sit down with promoter Ben Shalom of BOXXER, who have an exclusive content deal with Sky Sports.
He feels the Billam-Smith vs. Chamberlain winner is a viable opponent for his fighter’s first defense.
“The answer is yes,” Lonergan told the Toe2Toe podcast. “We would 100% like to have a look at that. I’m not reaching out to have a chat, I’m reaching out to see if we can actually do some business.
“I’d like to start talking now with Ben Shalom because they’re all signed to him, I believe, and with Adam Smith and to have a serious conversation about us coming there or you guys coming to Australia and trying your hand at what is now the best cruiserweight in the world.”
Billam-Smith is focused on Chamberlain, but certainly has Opetaia on his radar.
“He’s a really difficult fight for anyone in the division. He is the No 1 in the world at the moment, only because he’s beaten the No 1,” Billam-Smith said.
“I think there’s obviously flaws in everyone but he’s really well schooled, does the basics very well. There’s nothing amazing about him, he just does the basics very, very well. The fights are always going to be hard when you’re fighting for a world title especially if you’re fighting a champion.”