MONTREAL — Tornado incoming.

Osleys Iglesias has laid waste to everything in his path, much like a twister. However, Thursday, he faces arguably his toughest assignment to date in Vladimir Shishkin when they meet in an IBF super middleweight title eliminator.

The two headline an Eye of The Tiger show at Montreal Casino that will be broadcast on punchinggrace.com at 6:30 p.m. ET.

"It's a difficult fight but a big opportunity, and I'm ready," Iglesias (13-0, 12 KOs) told The Ring via translator. "He's a good fighter, the typical Russian school, so lot of respect for that. We had good sparring partners. I am well prepared."

Iglesias, rated No. 3 by The Ring at 168 pounds, enjoyed a breakout 2024. In four fights, he needed just nine rounds against solid competition.

He blitzed former world title challenger Marcelo Coceres in one round, took out Evgeny Shvedenko in the opening round, ran through the usually durable Sena Agbeko in two and beat up on previously unbeaten Petro Ivanov before taking him out in five.

This year he has had to be more patient.

"It's difficult because we had to wait and wait," Iglesias said. "I know it is normal in the career of a professional boxer. You have to go along with it. I am happy I am here now, and we have a tough opponent in Shishkin."

Manager Benny Blanko had to help allay his fighter's fears and help him focus on the bigger picture.

"He got impatient," Blanko said. "He was waiting and there was a date, and it didn't happen and then there was the IBF situation. It was not perfect. We were very happy with the four fights keeping him very busy, but it wasn't getting many rounds.

"He had a vacation, and [we] kept him busy in the gym."

While Iglesias has passed the eye test, Antonin Décarie, general manager at Eye Of The Tiger, feels this may be just the tip of the iceberg, a frightening proposition if true.

"He's way better, he's an animal, he's one of the boogeymen in boxing, right now. Nobody wants to fight him," said Décarie. "Props to Shishkin to take the fight, but I'm sure it wasn't his first option. If I wasn't in his shoes, I wouldn't want to fight Osleys Iglesias, he's the most dangerous fighter in the division and he's going to become a world champion."

And like everyone who follows boxing, the Cuban-born fighter will tune into Netflix on September 13 to watch Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford, who will contest for The Ring and undisputed super middleweight championship.

"I'll watch Canelo-Crawford," he said. "That's the fight I'm waiting for and now I'm knocking on the door, and I want to get that fight [vs. the winner]."

Shishkin (16-1, 10 KOs), rated at No. 9 by The Ring at super middleweight, turned professional in 2016. Now 34, he managed to show his class by stopping Nadjib Mohammedi (TKO 10), DeAndre Ware (TKO 8) and then-unbeaten Ulises Sierra (UD 10).

He also dominated then once-beaten Agbeko (UD 10) on ShoBox and outpointed former IBF titlist Jose Uzcategui (UD 12). He has spent time treading water beating a pair of journeymen before coming up short against William Scull (UD 12) for the vacant IBF title in October.