Australian heavyweight contender Justis Huni (12-0, 7 KOs) kicked off his 2025 with a second-round TKO win over Shaun Potgieter in the co-feature as Jai Opetaia made another successful IBF cruiserweight world title defence, blasting beyond David Nyika on the Gold Coast, January 8.

The 25-year-old has scored three consecutive stoppage wins against overmatched opposition on home soil in Australia after being given a difficult time over ten rounds against South Africa's Kevin Lerena on the Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou undercard, March 8 last year.

Johannesburg's Lerena, a career cruiserweight who made half-a-dozen successful IBO world title defences between 2018 and 2020, saw his profile rise on the world scene after dropping Daniel Dubois three times in a manic first round of their heavyweight contest in December 2022.

Despite flirting with prospective matchups at bridgerweight to win world championship gold in another weight class, the 32-year-old was a credible name but very much seen as a stepping stone on Saudi shores.

Huni struggled and was badly buzzed a few times, though Lerena - much like against Dubois - didn't go in for the finish and paid the price on the scorecards (96-94 x 2, 98-92). Nonetheless, Huni's promoter Eddie Hearn accepted that on the basis of that performance, Justis still had plenty of learning to do and they wouldn't rush him as far as tougher matchmaking was concerned.

Post-fight, the Matchroom chief said: "This was a massive learning fight. He was hurt badly but must improve against better opposition so when the tests come, nights like this make him ready."

Well less than a year later, it seems they're ready to take the handbrake off now. Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk announced after his two-fight series with Tyson Fury last month that he would take an extended break, opting for family time while not thinking about boxing or his next challenger indefinitely.

Fury has since announced his retirement, again, while other moving pieces continue to shift in the background searching for clarity in the sport's glamour division. Dubois vs. Joseph Parker, Martin Bakole vs. Efe Ajagba and Agit Kabayel vs. Zhilei Zhang are all slated to happen over the next three months.

Moses Itauma (11-0, 9 KOs) produced a stunning first-round knockout win over Demsey McKean during the Usyk-Fury 2 undercard on December 21 and while mooted for a March return in Liverpool, the 20-year-old fancies another step-up in opposition levels.

Huni vs. Itauma could be approved for the WBO interim world title, depending on where they are placed once the sanctioning body's rankings are updated later this month. It's a fight both camps want as Hearn reaffirmed ringside earlier this month, even if not immediately.

Mick Francis, who manages Huni, told The Ring: "Justis has been boxing with an elbow injury for the last three years, chipped bones in his left elbow.

He's been getting them in sparring and had to stop after the first couple of rounds [due to the pain], we're gonna get that sorted now, booked in for an operation over the next fortnight - only a day surgery, no big deal - he'll be out for a month afterwards but we're hope he'll be back around April-May time.

We've got a couple of opponents earmarked but the big thing is that Itauma fight, we want it, he's a guy on our radar. He's a great young fighter but hasn't got the same skills and ability as Justis."

On what he sees from Moses as a prospect and potential opponent, Francis couldn't help but look to what future heavyweights will resemble.

"He's a great young talent, no question. He's got power but if you look at both, they're not just big, they're big guys that can move... it's a new generation of heavyweight. Realistically we should let them follow their own journeys for the next couple of years but right here, right now, the world wants to see them fight.

Justis is #5 and defended the WBO Global title, Moses #6 with the WBO and defended the Intercontinental, they'll both go up in the rankings - probably 2 vs. 3 - it's perfect. Both great individuals and young kids, it's a fight both really want, we'll take it in a heartbeat and probably in the back end of this year."