Jai Opetaia, Jordan Thompson, and a nasty night at Wembley

The final image from the fight was Jordan Thompson sliding down to the canvas in round four and clutching desperately at Jaiย Opetaiaโ€™sย shorts.

Thompson was not leaving that ancient Wembley ring until he could absolutely fight no more; the debate might be that he should have never been in the ring. Letโ€™s park the righteous howls and deal with the nine minutes and twenty seconds of fighting. It’s not the fighterโ€™s fault that so many flimsy conventions can get trampled in our business; it needs looking at.

Opetaiaย wasย very special, and Thompson never had a chance, but he had a go. Sure, that is not enough, but it is something in an age when better fighters than Thompson have taken the money, taken the safety route and then shrugged their shoulders at the end. Thompson went down swinging, dazed, confused, defiant and bloody.ย 

It wasย Opetaiaโ€™sย firstย defenceย of his world title, a bauble won in a truly savage scrap with Mairis Briedis last summer; that fight left him with rods on both sides of his jaw. It also meant he was the best cruiserweight on the planet. The severe damage to his jaw interrupted his progress, but at Wembley his timing andย judgeย of distance was exceptional. His ring rust was a myth. He never left the gym and it showed.ย 

Thompson has the same passion asย Opetaia,ย makeย no mistake, but he lacks the fundamental grade, so often the difference between good fighters. It was obvious from the opening ten seconds that the fight would be short and that it would be hard;ย Opetaiaย connected to body and head with a slick straight southpaw leftย again and again. It was a form of control that involved more than just power โ€“ย Opetaia’sย feet were quality, his hands loose, his focus chilling. He was prowling from the start, intent on damage. He overwhelmed Thompson from the very first bell.

Thompson was confused, he had never in a thousand rounds of sparring and fifteen professional fights been hit so easily and so often and, probably, soย hard. The fight was less than a minute old when fear took over. And that is not a criticism,ย itโ€™sย a fact. Jordan Thompson simply had no idea what to do.

Just before the bell to end the opener,ย Opetaiaย caught Thompson high on the side of the head and Thompsonโ€™s legs stiffened. He survived until the bell, but was stuck in the corner, frozen for a moment and he struggled to sit down. He was hurt.ย 

In the second,ย Opetaiaย let Thompson recover by trying too hard;ย Opetaiaย was too eager, and Thompson not only regained his senses, but he started to move and let his hands go. It was not a comeback, most of the punches missed, but it was defiant and at the bell, Thompson could walkย unassistedย back to the corner. Tony Sims, in the corner, looked a bit happier.ย 

The story before the fight was simple: Jordan lacks the experience, but he can punch, and he is available. All true and in the modern game, all weak credentials for a crack at a title. It was a fight that he simply could not refuse when it was offered โ€“ every fighter I spoke to agreed.ย 

In round three, Thompson connected with a clean right cross andย Opetaiaย never shook. The same punch has left a dozen men falling all over the canvas or sleeping.ย Opetaiaย decided, it seemed, that enough was enough after the solitary right hand. He was vicious,ย accurateย and getting closer and closer to taking Thompsonย outย cold. Thompson was wobbling, falling back into the ropes, trying to cover up and still trying to let his hands go. Thompson did touch down; it was ruled a count. He had been caught tooย often. ย Heย was finishedย at the bell to end the third.ย Opetaiaย was just warming up.ย 

โ€œOne more round,โ€ Tony Sims told him. Sims is not a brave trainer, and he must have had some faith, or he would not have let Thompson out for the fourth. It was a big call,ย itโ€™sย what real trainersย have toย do in real fights. All the silly talk about โ€œnever pull me outโ€ and โ€œnever throw in the towelโ€,ย becomes just wild fantasy when a seasoned trainer must make a call. It is what separates the big boys and girls from the kids.ย 

At the start of the fourth, Thompson came out to his end. He took a deep breath and started to throw his last punches of the night. It wasย Opetaiaโ€™sย left again and again, and then a lazy right hook that sent Thompson on a stumbling fall. It was stopped 20 seconds later, Thompson somehow tangled between the referee, Howard Foster, and the grip he had onย Opetaiaโ€™sย shorts. He was down, he never wanted to be down, and it was over:ย Opetaiaย is back.

Opetaiaย retained his various glittering belts and Thompsonย retainedย his dignity. He was hurt and a bit broken in the dressing room after. He was also realistic and understood the risk he took. It was an impossible job in the end andย Opetaiaย was far better than we expected.ย 

Hopefully,ย Opetaiaย will be back in a British ring. There is a line for him; Mairisย Breidisย was a ringside guest and believes heย deservesย a shot. โ€œIโ€™m his nightmare and heย knowsย it,โ€ he told me. Chrisย Billam-Smith was part of the Five Live ringside team, โ€œI know how to beat him,โ€ he told me. The rest of the British cruisers are circling, but there needs to be a balance of risk and reward;ย Opetaiaย is not an easy option for anybody.ย He fights like a popular guy, an old-fashioned pro. And, please,ย donโ€™tย be fooled by people suggesting that โ€œanybody can look good against Thompson.โ€ That is not true,ย Opetaiaย is justย very, very special.

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