Opetaia and Usyk: Cruiserweight champion faces heavyweight king

Jai Opetaia reiterated Saturday that he plans to quickly become undisputed cruiserweight champion in 2025 and then move up to heavyweight to challenge Oleksandr Usyk for his belts if he still holds them by then.

Size difference

Usyk and Jai met during the Ring Awards on Saturday. When they stood side by side, Usyk looked much larger than the 6’2″ Opetaia. If this fight comes to fruition, Opetaia will not enjoy his full-size advantage, which he has come to rely on at cruiserweight.

Additionally, his one-armed fighting style could make Usyk school him and embarrass him. Jai uses a Bivol-style hybrid style that he clearly learned from watching the former WBA light heavyweight champion. Usyk has seen that style often during his years on the Ukrainian amateur circuit and will easily surpass it.

If Usyk loses his titles to Daniel Dubois in a rematch, it will put Opetaia in a position where he will have to decide whether to go for the belts against the formidable power puncher. Regardless, it would look bad for Opetaia to fight Usyk.

That would make him look like a coward. Jai will be minuscule against Dubois if that fight ever happens. Even if Opetaia bulks up, he will be small next to Dubois inside the ring. I don’t see a favorable result for the Australian. He is NOT another Evander Holyfield. He doesn’t have that kind of talent.

Opetaia promoter Eddie Hearn will need to prepare the unification fights he needs to become cruiserweight champion this year against WBC champion Badou Jack and WBA and WBO belt holder Gilberto ‘Zurdo ‘ Ramírez, to have the opportunity to achieve his goal this year. .

IBF cruiserweight champion Opetaia (27-0, 21 KOs) knocked out challenger David Nyika (10-1, 9 KOs) in the fourth round on January 8 at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, Broadbeach , in Queensland, Australia.

Cruiserweight first

“I’m happy it turned out that way. The fans got what they wanted. It was good to be back home and have that kind of energy,” Jai Opetaia told thealkSport Boxingtalking about his recent victory over David Nyika on January 8 in Australia.

“No, I’m ready to go back. I’m chasing those unification fights,” Opetaia said, reacting to being told his face looks unmarked less than a week after his four-round war with heavy-hitting Nyika.

“I became a little complacent. After the first round, I had this image in my head of one of those Hagler-Hearns type fights,” Opetaia said of taking some big hits from the 6’6″ Nyika in the contest. “It was good to be a part of this. I’m happy to put on a good show and a good fight.

“Definitely, man. That’s the goal,” Opetaia said about wanting to become undisputed at cruiserweight and then move up to heavyweight to challenge Oleksandr Usyk for his world titles.

Oleksandr Usyk with Jai Opetaia #PremiosElRillo pic.twitter.com/9zNJoeq1Ax

– Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) January 11, 2025