WORLD cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia has been compelled to delay the fourth defence of his IBF and Ring Magazine titles after suffering a minor injury.
The 29-year-old was gearing up for his second outing of this year at the Gold Coast Convention Centre in Queensland, Australia, on May 13.
Back in January, the ferocious Australian locked horns with David Nyika in an enthralling battle which, following a devastating fourth-round finish, saw him emerge victorious.
But while he was set for a swift turnaround against Claudio Squeo, Opetaia, 27-0 (21 KOs), must now wait until June 8 before bidding to resume his monstrous surge at 200lbs.
While further details of his injury are yet to emerge, the southpaw’s manager and co-promoter, Mick Francis of Tasman Fighters, said in a press release:
“Being the animal that Jai is in the ring, he takes no opponent lightly. He wants to be 100 percent fit to defend his IBF and Ring Magazine cruiserweight world titles.
“Under doctor’s orders, we have pushed the fight back by three weeks to ensure Jai is in top form for the bout.”
With the delay being just under four weeks, it would appear that the niggle Opetaia sustained while training is far from severe.
His opponent, meanwhile, may view this as a window of opportunity for some respite, with the Italian remaining a fair distance away from the business end of his training camp.
But either way, Squeo, 17-0 (9 KOs), whose victories have only arrived against limited opposition, is likely to be presented with a sizable mountain to climb come fight night.
In other words, Opetaia should take care of business in typically emphatic fashion before chasing a far more appealing matchup against unified champion Gilberto Ramirez.
