Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez has suggested facing Naoya Inoue's brother Takuma as a warm-up to their "inevitable" pound-for-pound clash.
The American will bid to become a three-weight world champion against WBA bantamweight champion Antonio Vargas this Saturday.
Victory would tee up a road to a bout with 'The Monster', with the sport's powerbrokers keen to move the pair into a blockbuster bout.
But while many have suggested Junto Nakatani as another foe on the road to Inoue, 'Bam' instead wants to tackle WBC champ Takuma.
"I think that’s a perfect storyline to the fight, beating his brother first,” Rodriguez told The Ring on social media on a potential bout.
"I think that's like almost the perfect storyline to the Inoue fight, beating his brother first and then going and fighting the second brother.
“When that Inoue fight does happen, then the fans are in for a great night of boxing. People are already talking about that fight so much.
[It feels] inevitable at this point. When the time comes, it's going to be a great fight, probably one of the best fights in boxing history.”
Ever since the prospect of a Naoya Inoue-Jesse Rodriguez bout appeared to land on the table, there's been a clamour to get it made.
There's always a catch though. 'Bam' has to vault divisions, a journey he begins at bantamweight with his crack at Antonio Vargas.
Many believe the star should get his super-bantamweight sea legs in against Junto Nakatani, the last man to share the ring with Inoue.
It would be a cracker of a fight - but also a major risk. The Japanese star came close to ending 'The Monster' and his reign at the top.
Takuma Inoue, conversely, is still a tough fight - but one that feels a little bit safer for the American to pursue as the missing link.
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