WHILE there was no doubt about his tough nature and willingness to engage, Italy’s sawn-off shotgun Claudio Squeo found the heavy hands of Jai Opetaia just too much to handle over the weekend.
Once the IBF cruiserweight champion found his groove and worked out the best way to punch down, the fight was as good as over. Not that it stopped Squeo, who was motoring forward until a well-placed fourth-round body shot forced a knockdown. From that point on, the writing was scrawled on the wall in permanent ink.
“I’m chasing this unification fight and it’s frustrating,” admitted the winner who wants to unify with Gilbert ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez. As for Squeo, he was caught with a finishing hook so ferocious that it left him with a badly broken jaw. The good news is that he is already seeking another fight.
Despite his undeniable warrior nature, Squeo was badly overmatched in receiving his first loss after 17 straight wins. Aside from a 2024 10-round points success over Niklas Rasanen (during which he was floored), the ‘Red Bull’ had fought nobody of note. His IBF fringe baubles forced an opportunity. He did not disgrace himself in defeat.
As for Opetaia, the Ramirez fight is badly needed for a fighter who, at 29, is in his prime and craving a test to remind us of the world-class operator who went 24 rounds with Mairis Briedis.
