IBF world cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia, 28-0 (22 KOs), has accused fellow contenders Chris Billam-Smith and Gilberto Ramirez of avoiding a showdown with the unbeaten Australian.
Opetaia is set to defend his belt against another undefeated contender, Huseyin Cinkara, 23-0 (19 KOs), though no official date has been confirmed. The fight was originally scheduled for January 8 on the Gold Coast but was scrapped after Cinkara suffered a training injury.
While Opetaia has long made it clear that his ultimate ambition is to unify the cruiserweight division and become undisputed champion, he must first take care of business against Cinkara, having been ordered to face his mandatory challenger.
Speaking to Boxing News, the 30-year-old expressed his frustration at being unable to secure unification clashes with the division’s other belt holders, hoping a win against Billam-Smith (21-2, 13 KOs) will ensure an undisputed showdown with Mexican Ramirez.
“That’s the only reason I want to fight him (Billam-Smith), he’s got nothing I want and even when he had the belt the fight was easy to be made he dodged me,” said Opetaia.
“He took the easy way, he thought he was going to beat Zurdo (Ramirez). He wanted to generate more money before he lost to me.
“He’s a respectable fighter (Billam-Smith), I believe he’s a great fighter and I believe the way I beat him and when I do beat him, they’ll be like f*ck this guy’s good, and it’ll just uplift the fight even more.”
The southpaw also stated that he believes WBC, WBA and WBO champion Ramirez (48-1, 30 KOs) is pricing himself out of an undisputed clash.
“They said he’s asking for stupid numbers, all I know is they’re just using excuses not to take the fight.”
Opetaia will be hoping to secure those lucrative bouts before potentially jumping to the glamour heavyweight division to continue his professional career.
