Shohjahon Ergashev is already eager to get in the ring with WBA, IBF unified junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor.
Ergashev (17-0, 15 KOs) is scheduled to return on January 17th, when he faces Adrian Estrella as part of a Showtime televised card from the WinnaVegas Casino & Resort in Sloan, Iowa.
Ergashev is ranked at number six by the WBA and the IBF. In one or more fights he could find himself in line for a final eliminator.
The Uzbekistan fighter, who had two big wins in 2019, is guided as a pro by promoter Dmitriy Salita.
Salita fully expects the boxer to become a shining star in the weight class, when he finally meets Taylor in the ring.
"I feel Ergashev is the best super-lightweight in the world," Salita told Sky Sports.
"He has grown leaps and bounds and added new dimensions to his game training at the Kronk Gym with Sugarhill Steward.
"Ergashev looked spectacular in his last fight in August and I expect better on January 17. He now not only has power, but also the ring IQ to deliver it in the most precise way.
"He and Josh Taylor would be a spectacular fight in which I would expect Ergashev to shine as the new star in the division."
Taylor is viewed by many as the top dog in the weight class, after beating Regis Prograis in the final bout of the World Boxing Super Series tournament.
Taylor is likely going to target the other unified champion of the weight class, WBO and WBC world champion Jose Ramirez, who makes a mandatory defense against Viktor Postol on February 2 in China. Taylor may have to make an IBF mandatory defense against Apinun Khongsong.