THE RESULT: Jai Opetaia wipes out Ellis Zorro with a savage left hand with just four seconds left of the first round, leaving the previously undefeated Brit with his head resting on the bottom rope and with absolutely no chance of beating the count. Opetaia, up on his toes as normal, had spent most of the first couple of minutes measuring Zorro, who had actually come close with a couple of right hands himself. But then the finish came.
KEY MOMENTS: As the round seemed tro be meandering to its conclusion, southpaw Opetaia showed low with his right jab before arcing a vicious left hand directly onto Zorro’s chin. It was instantly clear that the fight was over with Opetaia racking up the 19th stoppage win of his career and the 13th to come inside the opening four rounds.
RECORDS: This wins moves Opetaia onto 24-0 with 19 inside the distance while Zorro is now 17-1 (7).
TALKING POINT: Is Opetaia the No.1 cruiserweight in the world? He was stripped of his IBF title before this fight so he is currently without a belt from any of the sanctioning bodies but many will point to the way he disposed of Jordan Thompson in September and now Zorro that he is possibly the most destructive of the lot. Sterner tests of course lie in wait but it will take a special fighter to beat this man.
QUOTABLE:“I trained for 12 rounds, I was prepared for 12 but if the knockout comes it comes,” Opetaia said. “He was very hesitant, he wasn’t engaging much. I’m excited to be here and I’m excited for the next step. Put the people in front of me and I’ll just knock them out.”
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT: Opetaia told Boxing News that if all goes to plan against Zorro he hopes to be out on the February 17 card topped by Tyson Fury against Oleksandr Usyk. Given this fight did not even make it out of the first round, that now seems very likely, with a fight against Mairis Briedis still said to be in the works but that ship might have sailed. Either way, he is expected to spar Fury during his camp next month. For Zorro, this came way too soon and he must now rebuild.
