Latest news with #JaiOpetaia
The Independent
24-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Zurdo Ramirez and Jai Opetaia are on a cruiserweight collision course
Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez will return to the ring to defend his WBO and WBA cruiserweight titles this weekend, against Yuniel Dorticos as chief support to Jake Paul vs Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. This fight will have big implications for the future unification of the cruiserweight division – if Ramirez successfully defends his belts, then a massive fight with the IBF and Ring champion Jai Opetaia is surely next. • Jake Paul vs Julio Cesar Chavez Jr will stream live exclusively on DAZN pay-per-view this Saturday (28 June). Buy the PPV now, here. The two have been circling each other since Ramirez became unified champion against Chris Billam-Smith last year, and both have expressed interest in making the fight. Opetaia called Ramirez out after handily dispatching Claudio Squeo earlier this month, saying: 'Next fight, Zurdo Ramirez. He's mentioned me, he's told me he will fight me next after his mandatory. Let's get it on, I'm chasing that belt, let's go.' If this fight is made, it will put the victor on a path to becoming the undisputed champion in a division that has been in flux since the departure of Oleksandr Usyk. Who was the last undisputed cruiserweight champion? The only man in the four-belt era to bring the cruiserweight division under singular reign is Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian took 10 fights to acquire his first world title, then swept up the rest of the division in only five fights, beating Krysztof Glowacki, Mairis Briedis and Murat Gassiev. Usyk defended his undisputed championship once against Tony Bellew, whom he knocked out in the eighth round. He then vacated his titles in search of glory at heavyweight, where he also became undisputed. Since Usyk handed back his cruiserweight belts, only one man has held two titles simultaneously: Ramirez. Preceding that, the cruiserweight division was fractured and the champions scattered. Where are the belts now? To become an undisputed champion, one must possess all four of the major organisations' (WBC, WBO, WBA and IBF) belts. At 200lb, the belts are split between three champions: Opetaia, Ramirez and Badou Jack. Ramirez holds the WBO and WBA titles. He first acquired the WBA belt in March last year, beating Aren Goulamirian to become the first Mexican cruiserweight champion. Chris Billam-Smith was next to the sword, as Ramirez beat the Briton across 12 rounds to take his WBO title. Opetaia holds the IBF belt, and the Aussie is technically a two-time cruiserweight champion. He first acquired the belt in 2022, beating Mairis Briedis via unanimous decision before getting stripped by the IBF in 2023 and was forced to fight Briedis again to reacquire the vacant strap. Badou Jack is the WBC champion, meanwhile. The Swede beat Ilunga Makabu in 2023 and was made champion in recess later that year when he wanted to make a move to bridgerweight. He was reinstated as full champion at the end of 2024, taking the belt from Noel Mikaelian, whom he fought in May this year, retaining his title via majority decision. How could Opetaia or Ramirez become the next undisputed champion? If a fight between Opetaia and Ramirez is next, Ramirez will first have to defeat Dorticos, which is no easy task. The Cuban is a former IBF champion and has fought some of the best cruiserweights of this era, including Breidis, Gassiev and Mateusz Masternak. Opetaia has held up his end of the bargain, easily defending his title against Squeo, and has made his intentions clear: he is happy to wait for Ramirez. There is another roadblock in the form of the WBC, which has ordered an immediate rematch between Jack and Mikaelian after the result of their fight earlier this year was appealed by Mikaelian and his team, who believed he was not given a fair shake on the scorecards. This makes becoming the undisputed champion a challenge of patience just as much as a challenge of boxing ability. With Opetaia potentially eyeing a move to heavyweight and rumours circulating of Ramirez fighting Jake Paul, both men will be hoping to consolidate the division sooner rather than later.
The Sun
13-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Jake Paul ranks cruiserweight world champions and reveals he is in talks with TWO for shock title fight
JAKE PAUL says he is in talks to fight TWO of the cruiserweight world champions - having ranked the title holders. The YouTuber-turned-boxer - who only debuted as a professional in 2020 - has set his sights on challenging for 200lb gold after just 12 fights. 6 6 6 6 Current WBA and WBO unified champ Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez returns on Paul's June 28 undercard and WBC boss Badou Jack is also on his radar. Australia's pound-for-pound star and IBF holder Jai Opetaia is considered the best of the bunch - and Paul is in agreement. He said: "Zurdo and Jai are probably tied for No1 and I would say Badou is No2. "But all formidable opponents and we're in conversations with Zurdo and also Badou as as potential fights for next year." Ramirez, 33, faces Cuban Yuniel Dorticos, 39, the night Paul returns against former middleweight world champ Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. And promoter Oscar de la Hoya has talked up a shock bout between Ramirez and Paul in the future. Meanwhile Jack, 41, opened the door to defending his green and gold belt against the former Disney Channel actor, sparking behind-the-scenes conversations. But Opetaia, 29, has refused to even entertain a fight with Paul as he looks to cement himself as a legitimate great with his eyes on the heavyweight division. 6 CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS And Paul was probed on why the Aussie phenomenon was not joined by Ramirez and Jack on his list of potential title fights. But he said: "It might line up but at the end of the day, there's 100 people that want to fight me. "I got Canelo, Gervonta (Davis), Anthony Joshua, Badou, Zurdo, Tommy Fury, KSI, the list keeps on going. "So it's just about what makes sense and we'll see when the negotiations come but I would for sure entertain a fight with him." Paul drops back down to the 14st 4lb cruiserweight limit of 200lbs after bulking up TWO STONE to fight at heavyweight against Mike Tyson. But he admitted to getting "too fat" at 227lb (16st 2lb) for his points win over Tyson - who controversially returned at aged 58. "It was just too much and my body wasn't made for it," he said. "And even when I got into the ring I just felt too fat. So cruiserweight is definitely the perfect weight for me." Paul was close to agreeing a blockbuster May 3 bout in Las Vegas against Canelo Alvarez, 34, until the Mexican walked away from the deal. So Paul turned his attention to an exhibition bout against WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis - despite their FIVE STONE difference. But Davis is now set to rematch Lamont Roach in August after their controversial New York draw in March. Paul, 28, finally called upon ex-middleweight world champ Chavez Jr, 39, back down at his natural and more comfortable weight. He said ahead of the June 28 DAZN PPV: "I wanted the hardest and the biggest fights, which was first Canelo then Gervonta fell through. "And then at any given point in time we're negotiating or talking with five to six fighters to see who's down and ready to fight and making a date happen. "And after Canelo and Gervonta, we were talking to multiple people and Chavez was the one to step up, that made sense for me to stay active and get a fight in June. "So really it's just the long line and I just need more time but I'm gonna get to all of these names when the stars aligned." 6
The Independent
12-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Opetaia-Zurdo, Fundora-Murtazaliev and more - unification bouts we need to see
For many boxers, simply having one belt is not enough. Thanks to the machinations of sanctioning bodies, multiple world champions can co-exist in a weight class – but both fighters and fans alike love to see titleholders converge in unification bouts. Two belts are always better than one, whilst boxers that claim champion status with two sanctioning bodies also boast bragging rights over their rivals. Some champions even manage to negotiate the politics of the sport to combine all four major belts to become undisputed at their weight, a dream shared by many fighters over the decades. Unification bouts constantly capture the attention, but these five champion-versus-champion fights could produce blockbuster nights. Jai Opetaia - Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez The cruiserweight division, perhaps unfairly, has largely been seen as a stepping stone weight, with fighters learning their trade before assaulting boxing's most-glamorous class, heavyweight. Only three fighters have ever reigned as undisputed champion at 200lbs, Evander Holyfield, O'Neil Bell, and Oleksandr Usyk. Holyfield instantly moved up to heavyweight; Usyk defended his titles once before following in the footsteps of his predecessor. Unified champions are also quite rare, with current WBO and WBA champ Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez just the sixth example in the four-belt era, after Murat Gassiev (WBA, IBF), Denis Lebedev (WBA, IBF), Oleksandr Usyk (Undisputed), David Haye (WBA, WBC, WBO), and Jean-Marc Mormeck (WBA, WBC). Both Ramirez and IBF belt holder Jai Opetaia have not been shy about discussing a unification bout. Last November, Ramirez became the first man to unify two titles in the division since Usyk after beating then-WBO champion Chris Billam-Smith. Opetaia successfully defended his IBF crown earlier in June, whilst Ramirez is in action at the end of the month against challenger Yuniel Dorticos. If the Mexican navigates his first defence of his unified status, a bout with Opetaia could – and should – be on the cards for later this year. Both fighters appear keen on the prospect, but it remains to be seen whether we will see a cruiserweight with three straps by the end of 2025. Janibek Alimkhanuly - Carlos Adames Kazakh Janibek Alimkhanuly is another two-belt champion, holding the IBF and WBO titles at middleweight. Owning half of the belts in the division, Alimkhanuly is the man to beat, especially for WBC champion Carlos Adames. That is because the Dominican refuses to face stablemate Erislandy Lara, who holds the WBA crown at 160lbs. Whilst Adames has ruled out a bout with Lara, he wants to fight Alimkhanuly. The two have exchanged barbs for some time, with Alimkhanuly petitioning Turki Alalshikh to organise a bout between the pair for the undercard of Canelo-Crawford later this year. Reports suggest that negotiations have taken place between both champions' camps, implying that we could see a unification bout at middleweight sooner rather than later. Nick Ball - Rafael Espinoza Conversation around Nick Ball has focused on a potential bout with undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue for some time, but it appears both fighters are happy to keep that fight on the back burner. WBA champion at featherweight, Ball looks set to face a different super bantamweight in his next fight, with a defence against Australian Sam Goodman scheduled for a Riyadh Season card in August. Inoue himself seems content to bide his time before moving up to featherweight, the Japanese fighter instead waiting for his compatriot Junto Nakatani to step up to super bantamweight for an all-Japan fight. That is a view shared by Ball, who has suggested that while he waits for Inoue to join the featherweight ranks, he will look to add more belts to his collection. The Liverpudlian could have potentially been a two-belt champion, missing out on the WBC crown after a controversial draw with Rey Vargas in 2024. Current WBC champion Stephen Fulton will move up to face the organisation's super-featherweight titleholder O'Shaquie Foster in August, nixing a bout with Ball. Having previously spoken about liking a fight with Fulton, diminutive scouser Ball has also discussed fighting WBO champion Rafael Espinoza. Aside from being a unification bout, the difference in height would add a certain level of intrigue to the fight. Ball stands at around 5' 2', whilst the lanky Espinoza has been measured at 6' 1', despite both operating at 126lbs. The difference in styles – and wingspans – would throw up a very interesting bout. Sebastian Fundora - Bakhram Murtazaliev Sebastian Fundora became a unified champion in his first full world title shot, defeating Tim Tszyu by split decision to take the WBO and WBC belts at super welterweight. After making a defence against Chardale Booker in March, Fundora faces Tszyu in a rematch this July. It was after Fundora's victory over Booker that IBF champ Bakhram Murtazaliev announced his desire to face the American, but it would only unify two belts. That is because Fundora vacated the WBO's title, deciding to honour a rematch clause with Tszyu, rather than face mandatory Xander Zayas. Murtazaliev has been dormant since defeating Tszyu himself in October, with the California-based fighter waiting for a unification shot. With the future of Terence Crawford, holder of the WBA belt and the interim WBO title, uncertain at super welterweight, the winner of a potential Fundora-Murtazaliev bout would be well placed to establish themselves as top dog of the 154lbs division. Oscar Collazo - Pedro Taduran There are still big fights to be made in boxing's lightest division. Oscar Collazo reigns as champion of both the WBA and WBO, with the IBF belt held by Pedro Maduran, and Melvin Jerusalem in possession of the WBC strap. Puerto Rican Collazo and Filipino Taduran are both 28-years-old and arguably in the primes, making a unification bout a tasty prospect. Collazo defeated the division's other champion, Jerusalem, in 2023, taking the Filipino's WBO strap. Jerusalem has done well to bounce back and earn the WBC belt, but a rematch with undisputed status on the line has a better ring to it than a unification bout. As such, rather than see Collazo and Jerusalem run it back, it would be interesting to see who comes out on top of a potential bout between the Puerto Rican and Taduran.
Daily Mail
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
The brutal message from rising Australian boxing star Jai Opetaia after shattering opponent's jaw: 'I was in a rush'
Rising Aussie fighter Jai Opetaia has revealed the savage reason why he dealt with his latest fashion in a swift and brutal fashion before calling out Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramírez. Opetaia delivered another commanding performance on the Gold Coast, defending his IBF and The Ring cruiserweight titles. The Australian champion stopped unbeaten Italian challenger Claudio Squeo in the fifth round with a thunderous right hook. Moments after the fight, news broke that Squeo had likely suffered a broken jaw. 'It was a matter of time,' commentator Ben Damon said as the referee waved the bout off. Opetaia later told the crowd why he dispatched his latest challenger in such efficient - and savage - style. All too easy for Jai Opetaia #OpetaiaSqueo — Ben Damon (@ben_damon) June 8, 2025 Claudio Squeo entered the ring undefeated but was overwhelmed by Opetaia's reach, power and relentless forward pressure 'I was just in a rush, I just really wanted to get him out of here,' he said. It was a chillingly honest remark from a fighter who has become known for both his patience and ferocity. The fight began cautiously, with Opetaia feeling out his opponent in the opening round. By the second, he had found his rhythm, landing clean blows and showing off his footwork. 'The intensity has dialled right up,' Damon said during the third as Squeo began to retreat. Cracks appeared in the Italian's defence as Opetaia pushed forward with increasing pressure. In the fourth, the crowd erupted in boos after a controversial crumpled from a crushing body shot, but the referee ruled Opetaia had held him. Replays showed the punch landed cleanly in the chest, not low as Squeo had signalled. It didn't matter. In the fifth, Opetaia closed the show. He marched forward and crushed Squeo's jaw with a brutal right hook. Squeo dropped to his knees, grabbed his face and couldn't continue. 'He knew it was hurt straight away,' said Ted Cofie in commentary. Opetaia, who broke his own jaw in the same ring in 2022 against Mairis Briedis, showed no sympathy. Instead, he turned his attention to unification. 'I'm chasing these unification fights. I'm chasing these world champions,' Opetaia said. That means WBO and WBA titleholder Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramírez is now firmly in his sights. Ramírez is set to face Yuniel Dorticos on June 28, with Opetaia planning to be ringside. 'Next fight is Zurdo Ramírez,' Opetaia said. 'He's mentioned me, he's told me he'll fight me next … so let's get it on.' The 29-year-old then stared down the broadcast camera and repeated his challenge: 'Let's get it on.' Opetaia's win moved his record to a perfect 28-0, with many of those victories ending in highlight-reel knockouts. Despite being one of the world's most dangerous punchers, his technical skill often goes unnoticed. His height, reach, and power were too much for the Italian, who entered undefeated with a 17-0 record. Opetaia thanked the packed crowd and gave a special shoutout to fans from Australia and the Pacific Islands. 'We did what we have to do. We've got a lot more to go,' he said.
News.com.au
08-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Do it in a heartbeat': Jai Opetaia's promoter wants seven-figure Suncorp Stadium super-card
Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium could host a seven-figure boxing supercard, with promoter Mick Francis saying he will push the Queensland government for funding to stage a world title unification blockbuster between Jai Opetaia and Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez. Opetaia is Australia's pound-for-pound best boxer and defended his IBF cruiserweight world title in devastating fashion against Italian challenger Claudio Squeo on Sunday night. While Squeo was being stretchered out of the arena, with a broken jaw, Opetaia doubled down on his call for a unification bout with Mexico's Ramirez. Francis says an Opetaia-Ramirez showdown could be held at Suncorp Stadium, but needs the Queensland state government to back it. 'If we had government support, we could make it happen,' Francis told CODE Sports. 'This fight has been building for a while, and it's a stadium fight, but the State government has to get behind it. 'We had some guys here tonight from Experience Gold Coast, and they brought a couple of State dignitaries along. 'If they want to make it happen, they'll make it happen. 'I would suggest to put a major event on at Suncorp, you'd need $9 million or $10 million from the State government. But they'd get it back ten-fold. 'If you put it on at the right time of year, it'll definitely sell out.' Jeff Horn staged two fights at Suncorp Stadium, including his heroic world title win over Manny Pacquiao in 2017. He then fought Anthony Mundine at the venue a year later. Francis said it would take some serious buy-in from the Queensland government and other promoters in Australia, but argued it could be done. 'We've done it before with Manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn, so I don't see why we couldn't do it again,' he said. 'And boxing's bigger now than it was back then. 'Imagine No Limit, Matchroom Boxing, Spencer Brown, Tasman Fighters, Riyadh Season, Main Event, Foxtel, and DAZN. 'If we all work together, guess what? We can do massive shows, massive events and highlight Australian boxing. 'We just need to get off our asses and make it work. 'We'd love to do that. Jai would love to fight on the same card as Tim Tszyu. 'But we need to work with other promoters and join forces. 'If we went to the State government and said we want to put Jai Opetaia, Tim Tszyu, Justis Huni, Conor Wallace and George Kambosos on, we would get the funding. 'Every one of those fighters has a big name, and they're all good guys. Tim's a great guy, we can put Nikita on too. 'Make it a 10-fight supercard. We'd do that in a heartbeat.' Opetaia lives on the Gold Coast, and has headlined three cards on the Glitter Strip. And while he loves the idea of a stadium fight, he says his preference is still in his hometown. 'Central Coast Stadium – Gosford – that's what I'm chasing, bro,' Opetaia told CODE Sports in the dressing rooms after knocking out Squeo with a brutal right hook. 'I've been chasing Central Coast Stadium since I was a little kid. 'I've always wanted to take a world title back there, it's my home. 'I'm a Central Coast boy. I've got people at home, that's where I come from. 'People from there, they feel like they don't have purpose. They don't have much. We didn't have much. 'To go around the world, and then back home and do it there, that's the ultimate goal.' Opetaia laughed when he's asked if he had scraps in and around Gosford Stadium back in the day. 'I got bashed a couple of times, but that's about it,' he joked. Opetaia was relentless against overmatched Squeo on Sunday, forcing 'Il Toro Rosso' to one knee when he broke the Italian's jaw with a right hook. Opetaia later said he knew instantly that it was broken. 'I felt it, and I heard it click when it landed,' Opetaia said. 'I heard the punch when it hit his jaw and I thought, 'This poor bastard'. 'I've been there before. I saw his jaw, and when I looked at it, it had a little bump.' It was the same venue and the same ring Opetaia's own jaw was shattered when he first won the IBF world title against Mairis Breidis in 2022. 'I didn't go down though,' Opetaia told Code Sports.
