You see, Hardman had to grow up quicker than most. He was 14 when he lost his father, the man who had introduced him to boxing, to cancer.

Hardman promised his father in his final days he would become a world champion.

But he needed someone to guide him, and it was his coach Studley he turned to. "I look at Blair as dad", the 9-0 regional middleweight title holder said.

Hardman took another step towards fulfilling his promise with a dominant win over Mark Lucas at EPIC's Coorong Pavilion on Friday night.

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"Seriously, I don't think I would continue this journey [without Studley]," Hardman said.

"I know I can be great, but it wouldn't be the same without Blair. I get emotional talking about him. He is something else, he means everything to me and I wouldn't do it without him.

"It was a bit of a hard camp because his shoulder is busted and he can't hold my pads, so I was a little bit worried about that.

"But he means the world to me. That's his son just there, he looks at Blair as dad and I look at Blair as dad."

So it's fitting Studley is in Hardman's corner as the rising contender punches his way towards a shot at the WBA middleweight champion.

The Canberra Times revealed promoter Dean Lonergan's long-term ambition for Hardman is to secure a shot against Murata.

"That was a good little piece. Dean's looking at trying to get that world title," Hardman said.

"He is the WBA world champion at middleweight and that was the piece in the paper, looking to get Issac Hardman over to Japan to fight Ryoto Murata.

"For sure. He's looking to defend his title, I want the title, I want them all. I feel like I'm a world class boxer, I always felt like I was and I felt I always could prove I am. Now I've shown it.

"Ryota Murata is in my sights, locked and loaded."

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It was indeed Jeff Horn who once had Murata in his sights for a near $2 million pay day in Tokyo before Michael Zerafa blasted out the former welterweight title holder.

Oh, and just on Zerafa.

"I have no animosity against Michael Zerafa, but if he wants to call himself a middleweight, he has got to fight a f---king middleweight," Hardman said.

Glance at Zerafa's Instagram bio and you get a sense of what Hardman is talking about. Written beneath his name are the words "Australia's #1 middleweight".

But the 29-year-old has been pushing for a fight against Tim Tszyu at super welterweight, one which looks likely to come to fruition should the latter be made to wait for an international opponent.

Tszyu's charge towards a world title shot is in a holding pattern with Brian Castano and Jermell Charlo set to collide in a unification bout for all four major belts in July.

Zerafa is the only logical domestic opponent left for Tszyu, who could also look to lure an international contender to stay busy before fighting for a title.

So should Zerafa be left without a grudge match against Tszyu, there will be one man calling his name.

"He's the No. 1, I'm the No. 2, it's plausible. I'm not going to ask for No. 3 or 4 in the division, I'm asking for the next guy in the division which is Zerafa," Hardman said.

"I don't mean it in a disrespectful way or anything, I respect him as a boxer, as an athlete and as a person, he's a good fella. I think he gets a bad rap.

"He's a good fella, I like him. Zerafa, me and him used to talk. I invited him to Brisbane one time, he was going to come into the gym.

"But if you want to be a middleweight, fight at middleweight, that's me. Otherwise take off down to super welter, and take Tszyu, try to get that fight.

"Take it out of your [Instagram] bio too, so everyone gets on there and has a look. You're a super welter, not a middleweight, get away."