The 27-year-old (10-2-1, 5 KOs) has accepted the call on little more than two weeks' notice to face Callum Peters in the chief support preceding Nikita Tszyu-Oscar Diaz come May 6.

No Limit-backed prospect Peters (6-0, 6 KOs) is being matched tough, seeking to graduate from promising hope to bonafide 160-pound contender in a division needing fresh impetus nearer the top.

Peters, nicknamed '50 Cal', has only once been past the second round as a professional. Cody Beekin was the opponent that night for Australian honors as part of the Tim Tszyu-Anthony Velazquez undercard on December 17. The esteemed amateur won every round, including a 10-7 in the third, before it was stopped three frames later.

For James, ignorance is bliss. When asked by Fox Sports Australia last week whether he knew much about the Australian boxing scene, he could only mention two of the Tszyu fighting family: Hall of Fame inductee Kostya and his famous first son Tim.

"We did a quick search, saw he was a tough opponent and thought he would be a good person to add to my resume. I've got to do something spectacular, coming into his backyard so we can't just go out there and look pretty. While I know Callum thinks he can come forward, I'm going to show him who really can."

His trainer Dre Martinez concurs. They believe an impressive win over the 2024 Olympian will fast-track them into a more favorable position with the goal of avenging last year's stoppage defeat by the WBC interim super middleweight champion.

"If Shon wins this fight via spectacular knockout, we think he'll be contesting that wrld title within one, maybe two fights,"

James echoed the sentiments of many traveling Americans before him, saying he would make the long-haul business trip an eventful one in the hopes he can grow his name worldwide and build some leverage from which he can parlay into bigger opportunities as the a-side.

"I'm coming into his backyard to beat him in spectacular fashion. Make a statement, grow my name internationally, then soon after that, I'll go fight for a world title. My goal is to become mandatory again for Lester Martinez."

Martinez (20-0-1, 16 KOs) eased to a dominant points win over Immanuwel Aleem on March 21, claiming interim honors six months after his memorable 10-round firefight with Christian Mbilli was scored a split draw.

All three judges scored at least a round in James' favor before he was floored early in the fourth, then later stopped in the same frame last March 22 after health issues caused Martinez to withdraw on two occasions over five months between September 2024 and February 2025.

James returned to the win column a week before Christmas with an eight-round majority decision win over Cuba's then-unbeaten hopeful Yojanler Martinez (5-1-1, 2 KOs) during a fight that went viral after they simultaneously knocked one another down in round three. The California native, nicknamed 'Shontime', can't afford to underestimate Peters' fight-ending power if he's to stand any chance of springing a surprise as the away fighter.