DESPERATE for unification clashes, cruiserweight poster boy Jai Opetaia seems set for a prolonged wait for a showdown with his fellow world champions. Instead, the undefeated Aussie could be headed to Europe for the next defence of his IBF world title.
Opetaia, 28-0 (25 KOs), upset Maris Briedis to claim world honours in 2022, but was stripped of the IBF title in late 2023 after proceeding with a fight against Ellis Zorro in Saudi Arabia.
Still, Opetaia reclaimed the then-vacant belt in a rematch with Briedis, and has since defended the strap on three occasions, defeating each of Jack Massey, David Nyika and Claudio Squeo by stoppages within six rounds.
During that time, the hard-hitting southpaw has been beckoning on unification contests against the other titleholders at 200lbs, but Badou Jack’s apparent reluctance and Gilberto Ramirez’s recent injury means that Opetaia will be forced to wait.
Instead, the IBF have ordered that Opetaia must next face German-born, Turkish-based contender, Huseyin Cinkara, 23-0 (19 KOs), as per AAP News.
Opetaia was scheduled to take on 40-year-old Cinkara earlier this year, until an injury to the latter led to Nyika stepping in as a late replacement.
Now, keen for his shot at the cruiserweight crown, Cinkara has reportedly refused a six-figure step-aside offer that would allow Opetaia to fight Chris Billam-Smith. Instead, Cinkara and his team are planning on bidding for the right to host his title challenge in Istanbul.
However, Tasman Fighters’ promoter and manager of Jai Opetaia, remains confident that he will win the purse bid and have his fighter headline either on the Gold Coast for a third consecutive outing or in Victoria, Australia.
On European soil, Opetaia has appeared just once, disposing of Jordan Thompson with ease at Wembley Arena in his most dominant performance as a world champion – in what was the lone title defence of his first reign, back in September 2023.
