The Australian knocks out the New Zealander in the 4th round and keeps the Ibf belt. But to get to challenge the current king of the heavyweights there are two steps…
The king of Oceania is ready to challenge the king of the world. The Australian Jai Opetaia confirmed himself as the IBF light heavyweight boxing champion, inflicting the first career defeat on the New Zealander David “The nice guy” Nyika by knockout at 2’17” of the 4th round. He thus takes a decisive step towards Oleksandr Usyk. The absolute heavyweight champion (even if the acronym Ibf belongs to Daniel Dubois), looking for credible rivals after the double victory over Tyson Fury. One of them is the 29-year-old left-hander who comes from Australia: one meter and 88 centimeters of long-limbed and agile muscles, an immaculate record of 27 victories and 21 knockouts, an ethnic necklace around his neck and a tattoo on his arm in homage to his Samoan origins. Opetaia intends to first unify the world cruiser acronyms, then move up a category to meet the Ukrainian champion. Time horizon to get there a year and a half.
the challenge
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“I want to fight to be sole cruiser champion in 2025 – Opetaia preaches – I want to win all the belts in this light heavyweight category and then challenge Usyk. This is the goal and I know he is interested”. More than an objective, it is a real project. He would already enjoy the support of Turki Alalshik, the powerful minister who has made Saudi Arabia the new capital of professional boxing and the Ryadh Season a brand that can be exported everywhere. Under this brand, matches were held in London, in the USA and today at the Gold Coast convention Center in Broadbeach (Australia), where Opetaia victoriously defended the title in the maxi meeting organized by Tasman Fighters and Matchroom.
the match
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The match lasted only four rounds and was a rational demolition of Nyika. A puncher to be respected, 9 knockouts out of 10 victories, but he appeared too inexperienced for Opetaia. The champion gave him the initiative the first three rounds. He allowed himself to be pressured, but by retreating or countering his opponent he always landed the best shots, especially hooks to the body and face. In the 4th round Opetaia took the initiative. First with a series of undershots, hooks and an uppercut he put him down the first time. Then with four precise punches, the last one a left hook when his rival was already collapsing, he definitively knocked him out. Nyika was on the ground for many minutes, rescued by paramedics, but fortunately he got up and left the ring on his legs.
the project
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Now to get to the Usyk-Opetaia challenge there are essentially two preparatory steps to take. From Usyk: beat the winner of the match on February 22nd in Ryadh between Dubois and Joseph Parker, the IBF heavyweight world championship up for grabs. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian took a long period of rest. “After another 12 rounds with Fury he needs a long and good recovery – said Egis Klimas, Usyk’s manager – He will resume training in April and won’t be in the ring before August. Rematch with Dubois? He has to beat Parker first.” From Opetaia: meet Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, WBA and WBO light heavyweight champion, a Mexican who saved himself thanks to boxing from the tentacles of drug trafficking in Sinaloa, the region where he comes from. It will be a stellar challenge. “Oscar de La Hoya has already messaged me about this – revealed Opetaia’s manager, Eddie Hearn of Marchroom, in the ritual interviews in the ring – It will be a tough, dangerous match, but absolutely worth doing. A real show. A great match to win, for Opetaia to follow the same path as Usyk did in the past: unify the cruiser belts and then move up in category. It is certain that within 12-20 months this heavyweight challenge can be done and become a great boxing classic”.
Australia
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Usyk-Opetaia, Ramirez permitting, would become yet another match of the century. With two kings of the light heavyweights moving up in weight to compete for the crown of the absolute category. With the full house, the enthusiasm and the spectacle seen today at Gold Cost, for Hearn and the Arabs of the Rhyad Season it would also become Australia’s boxing conquest. Where Opetaia is already one of the most popular sportsmen. “My goal is to transform Australian boxing into something huge” confirms the boxer himself. And that would be exactly the case. There hasn’t been an Australian world heavyweight champion since the dawn of time. Ever since Bob Fitzsimmons, a Briton who moved to the antipodes as a child with his family, beat the legendary James “Gentlemen Jim” Corbett, becoming the third overall champion in the history of the premier category between 1897 and 1899. After an abundant century, Opetaia can become a legend like him.
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