Opetaia Open To Canelo Clash, But Only At Cruiserweight

IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia welcomes a clash with Canelo Alvarez if he is ready to move up from his 168-weight division. However, Opetaia feels that Canelo, 33, (61-2-2, 39 KOs) will be too young.

If fighter Canelo comes up two weight classes to challenge Opetaia for his IBF cruiserweight title, that would be a huge challenge for the Mexican star.

The Size Advantage of Opetaia

The 6'2″ Opetaia will have a huge size and weight advantage over the 5'7 1/2″ Canelo, who has captured world titles in four weight divisions and established himself as one of the top fighters.

In an interview, the undefeated Opetaia (25-0, 19 KOs) told Fight Hub TV that the Honorable Turki Alalshikh asked him if he would like to fight Canelo at 175, but he says he couldn't get down to that weight class. from cruiserweight.

Canelo hasn't spoken about wanting to fight Opetaia at cruiserweight, but he has reportedly expressed interest in fighting at that weight in the past, but hasn't recently.

A move like this would shut up the critics who have been attacking Canelo for fighting David Benavidez, who has been calling him aggressive and refusing to go to the ground.

“Ishiki [Turki Alalshikh] he actually asked me. last week, he called me and asked me, 'Would you fight Canelo?' He said 175 lbs, and I can't do anything lower than a cruiser. “

Financial Incentive and Physical Challenge

If Opetaia was eager to make the big bucks he's likely to make against Canelo, he'd have to find a way to cut weight to get down to 175 because there's always a way if a fighter wants it bad enough.

Of course, whether Opetaia will be able to physically win after dropping down to 175 for the Canelo Alvarez fight is another matter. It will be an interesting physical test to see what Opetaia can endure against the biggest star in the sport.

According to Forbes, Canelo was the highest paid boxer in the sport in 2024, earning $85 million. With that kind of bankroll, it's understandable why all the top players, like Opetaia, are interested in fighting him.