EXCLUSIVE: Jeff Fenech pinpoints 'disgraceful' reason few Australians know who Jai Opetaia is

He's by far the best boxer in the country and to most in the boxing world, the top cruiserweight on the planet, on his way to superstardom.

But there's a fair chance the average Australian has never heard of Jai Opetaia, with the NSW-born Gold Coast based slugger flying below the radar and choosing to have his fists do the talking, instead of running his mouth.

That trait would usually jive well with the Australian public, renowned for cheering for hardworking champions who go about their business without fuss.

'Ring of Fire': Opetaia vs Cinkara for the cruiserweight world titles on December 6 is available to order now on Stan Pay-Per-View

That's primarily the reason why he has a strong following in the UK. Massive knockouts. No bullshit.

He should be a household name, Australia's youngest ever Olympic boxer at 17 and an absolute knockout merchant, who has the world's most powerful people in the sport singing his praises.

But back home it's a different story, for reasons totally out of his control.

"It's because those guys at Fox use one promoter and all these other guys nobody knows them unless you fight for for that team," Australian boxing legend Jeff Fenech told Wide World of Sports.

"They signed one boxing promoter. There's people throughout the whole of Australia that need fights and need to be seen.

"That's the only reason why Jai's not known like other fighters because he wasn't with the team which had the access to TV. It's disgraceful. He's the greatest fighter in this country by a million miles at the moment and yet people do not know him."

It appears Opetaia's luck is turning, with the IBF and Ring champion signing a deal with Stan recently, which will air his PPV bout on Saturday night, where he will make his seventh defence of his IBF title against relatively unknown German Huseyin Cinkara (23-0, 19 KOs) in a contest that sees the challenger priced at $19.

That level of favouritism is rarely seen and demonstrates his dominance. But to the naysayers it's just another overmatched opponent for the Aussie, who is yet to land a unification bout.

It hasn't been for a lack of trying.

Opetaia's team have attempted to negotiate unification bouts with WBC belt holder Badou Jack and WBA, WBO champion Gilberto Ramirez, but to no avail.

That's starting to look like a blessing in disguise.

Ramirez signed on to fight David Benavidez next year and if Benavidez can get past his fellow Mexican, that would open the door for the Aussie, which would undoubtedly propel the trajectory of his reputation towards the likes of Fenech and Kostya Tszyu, as the nation's best ever fighters.

"I seen him as a 17 year old, his talent blew my mind, and now he's just getting better," Fenech said.

"He's just gotta defend his title, he's gotta win it, if he goes up another division to the heavyweight division and can do that, he might surpass us all, so he's got that much talent.

"One of the reasons why he's not fighting them guys, is because they're all scared, they're running scared. He's without doubt the best cruiserweight in the world.

"I knew the kid was very, very special, he's got everything, and at least I still think he's got lots more to go."

Fenech said he would not be surprised if Opetaia surpasses himself and Tszyu as the best to ever to do it Down Under.

"He has the right stuff to do it. If he unifies the cruiserweight titles and then goes onto win a heavyweight title, that's a massive achievement," he said.

"If he does move up, he won't be the biggest heavyweight in the world and so that too will play into it."

With many of the modern greats now ageing out, Opetaia, 30, is on a trajectory to be among the cream of the world heavyweight division in years to come.

And as fight week has progressed on the Gold Coast, Opetaia's notoriously scary pre-fight stare has intensified.

Wide World of Sports asked him whether he felt like he was Australia's most under-appreciated athlete.

"It is what it is, man, you know, I can't control certain things," he replied.

"We just focus on our own goals and we make sure we kick them, you know, when the time comes. We've got to perform and deliver where we can.

"I've always just believed that the hard work will speak for itself. It's been a bit of a process to get these things behind us, but we're here now. It's about time we've got some backing by some mainstream media. It's been a long time coming.

"I feel like it's about time that we've had a bit of backing by our own nation."

Former cruiserweight world champion Ted Cofie told Wide World of Sports that Opetaia's humble, no bullshit approach was admirable.

But it may have come at a considerable cost.

"His family and his dad (Tapu) that's been training him, have really focused more on the boxing fundamentals," Cofie said.

"They haven't gone out and said, 'hey, let's create a circus act,' for lack of a better phrase.

"So all of that kind of theatrics is missing. With the theatrics comes the notoriety. It's a bit of a double edged sword. He's very good because he hasn't done the theatrics, but you need the theatrics so everyone can see what you're doing.

"I think now with a couple of sponsors and media obligations, people are starting to get to know him more and his performances are speaking for themselves.

"So I think now he'll start to step up, Stan pay-per-view behind him, I think it's going to be much, much better for his career."