Jai Opetaia, the IBF and Ring cruiserweight champion, says he wants a fight against Oleksandr Usyk at heavyweight.
Opetaia's Desires Beyond Cruiserweight
The 28-year-old Opetaia (25-0, 19 KOs) is being talked about moving up to heavyweight to look for bigger opportunities at that weight that is not available to him at barren cruiserweight, which is full of no-nonsense fighters who compete under the radar of many boxing fans.
Usyk recently told the media that he wants to drop down to cruiserweight to try to become a two-time undisputed champion at that weight. He accomplished this in 2018 when he defeated Murat Gassiev.
It's unclear how serious Usyk is about returning to cruiserweight because there are few compelling fight opportunities in that division other than a clash with Opetaia.
That fight will resonate with Australians and die-hard boxing fans because Opetaia hasn't been around long enough to build a large following outside of his home country.
The only guy with a name on Opetaia's resume is 39-year-old Mairis Briedis, and he gave him plenty of trouble in their two fights.
The Need for Fast Movement
Opetaia will need to move up in weight soon to catch the 37-year-old Usyk in his prime. He probably won't be around much longer, and Opetaia will be at the end of a long line of options for the Ukrainian star.
The best way for Opetaia to get a fight against Usyk is to move up to heavyweight right now and use his connections with the Saudis to face the winner of the Jared Anderson vs. Usyk fight. Martin Bakole on August 3rd.
If Opetaia beats one of those guys, his popularity will skyrocket, and he could be on the radar of Usyk or one of the other big names. I doubt Opetaia can beat any of the top players like Bakole, Anderson, or Daniel Dubois because he had so many problems against Briedis.
“I would like to fight Usyk with respect. I've always been very close to him,” said Jai Opetaia on Fight Hub TV about his desire to fight Oleksandr Usyk. “I was 16 years old, and I qualified for the Olympics. I competed at the age of 17, and he won those Olympic games.
“I've always been there. It wasn't my time yet. I feel like my time is coming,” said Opetaia.
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