Josh Warrington was on the verge of tears as he begged for a unification clash in Las Vegas.
But instead the world champion must take on unknown Frenchman Sofiane Takoucht in Leeds next month.
Warrington won his world title by dethroning Lee Selby before defending it against former two-weight champion Carl Frampton and mandatory challenger Kid Galahad.
He had promised his loyal fans a trip to America for a fight against Oscar Valdes or Leo Santa Cruz but both instead vacated their belts.
"I was speaking to Frank Warren and he was telling me the other fighters don’t want it," said Warrington.
"I was almost in tears to be honest, I was proper down because I’d told my fans we’d done Leeds and that we’d do America next.
"I was on my hands and knees and thinking, why do they not want the fight?
"I don’t want to have 20 defences just to pad out my record and get pay days; get me the big fights against the champions.
"Fighting the big names does something to me, when my back’s against the wall and people say I can’t.
"If I can go on and win another world title then feed me whoever you want. Feed me your Mick Conlans, feed me your up-and-coming prospects but let me have an opportunity to win another world title.
"For me to go to my grave a unified champion, I can live off that for the rest of my life. But I don’t want to come to the end of my career and wonder what if.
"As a featherweight your career moves fast, you fight two or three times a year if you’re lucky. The big fights take a lot of preparation and planning and I just want them now while I have momentum."
Warrington is so desperate to test himself against the best he would even have a crack at Vasyl Lomachenko.
The Ukrainian hinted at a return to featherweight after dominating Luke Campbell last month.
And Warrington added: "I’d be a massive, massive, massive underdog and I’d be fighting one of the sport’s greats, but why wouldn't I want to test myself?"
