What would tennis fans think if they never got to see Roger Federer face off with Rafael Nadal?
Two of the best, sidelined, made to play fringe contenders, while their long-awaited clash marinates, with promotional disagreements, broadcast conflicts and financials blamed for getting in the way.
So why does it happen in boxing?
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The two most popular heavyweights of the past decade, for example, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, both happen to be English, are a year apart in age and held world titles at the same time, yet they’ve never met the ring.
A fight between the pair would have sold Wembley Stadium out multiple times over.
There’s countless similar cases throughout the sport’s recent history.
Closer to home, Jai Opetaia has found himself frustrated with the indirect route he’s been forced to take in an effort to prove he’s the world’s number one 200-pounder.
More than three years ago, the Australian defeated Mairis Briedis, the best cruiserweight on the planet at the time, to win the IBF and The Ring titles.
Since that night on the Gold Coast, Opetaia has unsuccessfully petitioned for a shot at the division’s other champions, hoping to one day call himself undisputed.
Instead, he’s rematched and beaten Briedis, knocked out three Englishmen, a Kiwi and an Italian, most of whom had little business being in the ring with the destructive southpaw.
And, while a long-awaited meeting with Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, who currently holds the division’s WBA and WBO titles, at least appears to be getting closer, the Mexican is now sidelined following shoulder surgery.
Regardless, unless Ramirez lowers his asking price, or Turki Alalshikh opens the considerable coffers at his disposal, it may never happen.
Same goes for the WBC cruiserweight champion, Badou Jack.
“I heard Badou Jack wants US$10 million to fight Jai Opetaia,” Mick Francis of Tasman Fighters, Opetaia’s promoter, told Sporting News.
“He’s 41, doesn’t sell a ticket and the fight wouldn’t go one round.
“Zurdo Ramirez is asking for US$8 million when he isn't a pay-per-view fighter.
“If they were serious about fighting Jai Opetaia, they wouldn’t be hiding behind those telephone numbers.”
Even before either of those fights can be made, Opetaia has to face the mandatory challenger to his IBF title, the 40-year-old Huseyin Cinkara - a clash which shapes as yet another significant mismatch in the Aussie’s favour.
With plans to move up and challenge for heavyweight titles, Opetaia, 30, doesn’t necessarily have the time to waste waiting around for fights which mightn’t come.
Next month, Terence Crawford will make the massive jump up to super middleweight to take on Canelo Alvarez.
The American is looking to win a world title in a fifth weight class, and become undisputed in a third.
After “Bud” stopped Jeff Horn to collect the WBO welterweight title in 2018, he found himself in a similar predicament to Opetaia’s present situation.
Crawford, then signed to Top Rank, defended the WBO strap six times, failing to secure a fight with the other big names at welterweight at the time, most of whom were affiliated with PBC.
It wasn’t until 2023 that Crawford got the chance to unify the division by facing, and ultimately knocking out, Errol Spence.
And then Alalshikh came along.
With the Saudi government official in his corner, Crawford is no longer on the “wrong side of the street” and gets a shot at a legacy-defining bout with Canelo, as well as an eight-figure payday.
Is there a lesson in this for Opetaia?
Maybe he should have chosen a sport where the physical stakes are lower.
“Jai's problem is he retires both these guys,” Francis said.
“Zurdo can stay where he is, defend his titles a few times in America and leave a legacy.
“Or face Jai Opetaia, and potentially never be the same fighter he was.”
The Gold Coast-based knockout artist can already count himself among Alalshikh’s favourites, but even the Saudis aren’t going to stump up the kind of money Ramirez and Jack are asking for.
In another potentially major play earlier this year, Alalshikh teamed up with Dana White to form a new promotion, which would borrow from the UFC’s model, with, they say, one champion per division and evenly matched fights.
In the case of Opetaia, it’s hard to disagree with White’s belief that boxing is “broken” as a means of seeing the best fight the best.
Of course, that’s not to say White’s entry into the sport isn’t unproblematic, with fears his model could be the catalyst for a reduction in fighter pay across the board, while Alalshikh’s connection to the Saudi regime comes with its own set of moral quandaries.
Last month, Alalshikh announced that his shows would no longer be pay-per-view, starting November 22nd, with fans instead able to tune in on streaming platform DAZN - the same platform which purchased Foxtel earlier this year for AU$3.4 billion.
Domestically, in the short term, that should mean more opportunities for Opetaia to build his profile and turn himself into the commercial draw his ability ought to warrant.
Since 2022, No Limit Boxing have had an exclusive agreement with Fox Sports and Main Event, meaning all domestic shows broadcast on the network had to be under their banner.
Francis believes a stronger DAZN foothold in Australia, as well as interest from rivals like Stan following the success of the Paul Gallen-Sonny Bill Williams event, will only benefit fighters.
“There’s been a monopoly in Australian boxing for too long,” Francis said.
“Hopefully with the changes coming through DAZN now working with Fox, plus Stan showing more interest in boxing, Aussie fighters should get the opportunity to fight here in Australia on big platforms, which in return our home grown talent can fight more in Australia, plus be paid what they are worth.”
Whether any of that paves the way for Opetaia to finally unify the division is another question.