Justis Huni could see the platform the moment Paul Gallen knocked out a former world champion inside one round.
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So the reigning Australian heavyweight champion turned to his father inside their Brisbane home and said "dad, I don't want to fight Lucas Browne".
The target had changed. It was Gallen, the former NRL premiership captain who maintains an unbeaten 11-0-1 record as a boxer, in his sights.
"We got the call up from [promoter Dean Lonergan] that night, and we're here," Huni's father and trainer Rocki said.
Here inside Sydney's ICC Exhibition Centre on Tuesday, where Huni [3-0] and Gallen launched the promotion of their June 16 bout at the same venue.
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Huni must first get through Christian Tsoye [5-3-2] in Sydney on May 26, a studio show hosted in front of a handful of people. Then comes Gallen, and then a tilt at Olympic Games gold in Tokyo.
"I've got a big few months coming up, and I'm just going to tick off the fighters one by one," Huni said.
"[Gallen] is an exciting fighter, he brings a lot of eyes to the boxing scene which is awesome for boxing, especially for heavyweight boxing in this country. It's starting to really heat up. It's the perfect fight for me before I head off to the Olympics.
"Gal hasn't faced anyone like me who can box like me and has the footwork like I do. I think it's going to be a shock for him, especially my speed and accuracy. It's going to be a tough challenge for him, I'm going to stay long and outbox him.
"I'm just trying to go out there and show everyone what I can do. I'm just going to break Gallen down and hopefully the stoppage comes."
Lonergan says "Paul's got less chance of winning this fight as he did as captain of State of Origin against Queensland" - but even so Gallen will take the lion's share of the purse.
Because he is the attraction. He will draw more media attention than any other heavyweight in this country could. Lonergan went as far as to say he would draw more attention to this fight than any heavyweight on the planet bar world champions Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.
"I'm happy to help out Australian boxing, I'm happy to get this bloke as much promotion as he can get. But I'm not here to give you promotion, I'm here to win," Gallen said.
"I know Justis doesn't think I can win but I'm here to surprise him. There's a reason I've been a professional athlete for 20 years.
"When I took the [Mark] Hunt fight people said I was going to die, the same with Browne and the same with Justis Huni. So not much has changed, I've continued to surprise everyone along the way.
"I'm about having a go, having a crack and setting an example of what you should do. This is the thing that gets me about life in general. You teach your kids to walk and they fall down and you teach them to get back up, you teach a kid to ride a bike, they fall off and you teach them to get back up and have a go.
"When you're an adult all you do is hang shit on people and have a go at people, get on your mobile phone or your computer and have a go at people having a crack. It's a joke.
"I'm here to try and get that out of people's mentality. That's going out there and having a dead-set go. If I win, I win, which I have done nothing but win so far and if you lose, you lose and brush yourself off and go again.
"That's my attitude in life, it was my attitude in my rugby league career, it's my attitude in my boxing right now and I'll be well prepared to get it done on June 16."
Lonergan is targeting world-ranked rising star Brock Jarvis - who has caught the eye of leading international promoters Bob Arum and Eddie Hearn - for a co-main event fight.
Jarvis' camp are weighing up whether he is best suited to featherweight or super featherweight.
An Australian title shot at super featherweight against TC Priestley - who claimed the belt in a stoppage win over Ben Dencio in Canberra - was on the radar before the champion withdrew due to a hand injury.