Jai Opetaia's camp has been left fuming once again as cruiserweight world champion Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez continues to bypass a potential unification bout.
Australia's best boxer, who will headline Stan Sport's Ring Of Fire event next month, has been calling out Ramirez for the past two years to put all the gold on the line.
Opetaia currently holds The Ring and IBF titles at cruiserweight, while his Mexican rival is in possession of the WBO and WBC belts in the hotly-contested division.
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Ramirez is slated to fight Robin Safar in January – but the biggest surprise came on Sunday (AEDT) when plans were announced for him to defend against David Benavidez in May.
The superfight between Ramirez and Benavidez, who will make the jump from light-heavyweight to cruiserweight, will attract a massive audience overseas.
However, it once again leaves Opetaia on the back burner and the undefeated Sydney product has had enough, hitting out at Ramirez's team for ducking him.
'Ring of Fire': Opetaia vs Cinkara for the cruiserweight world titles on December 6 is available to order now on Stan Pay-Per-View
"I've been waiting for the unification fights for years," he said on Monday.
"I'm sick of the excuses. None of these other champions are in a hurry to face me – and we all know why."
Opetaia's manager, Mick Francis, was even more damning in his response to the news.
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"We're witnessing a great champion being avoided in broad daylight," he said.
"These so-called champions won't even say his name. Zurdo Ramirez has ducked him in the biggest, most embarrassing way of all.
"Zurdo's camp had the nerve to demand $US8 million ($12.4m AUD) to fight Jai. They might as well have said, 'No chance – we don't want that smoke'. That would've been more honest.
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"Jai isn't chasing money, he's chasing greatness.
"He wants these guys to grow some balls and step up."
Opetaia (28-0) also posted on social media, taking aim at those in his weight class.
"No matter who they fight, they ain't the best in the division until they get through me," he said via X, accompanied with a photo of him in training.
The 30-year-old will defend his two cruiserweight world titles against Huseyin Cinkara on December 6 on a card that will also feature heavyweight star Justis Huni.
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