A huge incentive is in place for the winner of Tim Tszyu vs. Sebastian Fundora as the 154lb pair collide at the end of this month.
Put together at the last minute following an injury to Keith Thurman, Tszyu will now face Fundora as he looks to retain his WBO title at super-welterweight and also claim the vacant WBC belt.
Victory for either man is now likely to open the door for a showdown with Terence Crawford at some point later this year.
Since defeating Errol Spence in the summer of 2023, Crawford has been linked to several fights including a showdown with Canelo Alvarez, but it appears that glory at super-welterweight appeals to him.
The Ring have reported that Crawford has now been made super champion by the WBO and that honour allowed him to challenge for the same belt in another weight division.
If that’s the route he’s going down, then the winner of Tszyu vs. Fundora could be testing themselves against one of boxing’s pound-for-pound greats in 2024.
Live on DAZN: Watch Dalton Smith vs. Jose Zepeda on March 23