Jai Opetaia makes the move up to heavyweight next month to face long-reigning former WBC champion Deontay Wilder on the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua card, and ahead of the bout, boxing legend Barry McGuigan has predicted a stoppage win.
A two-time IBF cruiserweight world champion, the undefeated Opetaia is hoping to be reinstated as a 200lb titleholder in the near future, with his ongoing lawsuit against the IBF potentially teeing him up for an undisputed showdown with David Benavidez next year.
Whilst awaiting a verdict, the Aussie has agreed to his a first full heavyweight contest since he claimed the ANBF New South Wales heavyweight title back in 2017, where he will be tasked with 41-year-old Wilder – who is seeking a return to the heavyweight throne.
In his column for The Mirror, former WBA featherweight champion McGuigan looked ahead to the battle and forecasted that Opetaia will get the job done inside of the distance, despite the move up in weight.
“Opetaia is giving away height and reach but that won’t concern him at this stage of Wilder’s career. I see Opetaia claiming the centre of the ring, beating Wilder to the punch behind a snappy jab.
“It won’t take brute force to get the job done. He just needs to find the target and hit Wilder with authority. Technically, Wilder was always suspect. He had to get guys out of there from distance, relying on his incredible knockout power.”
“If Opetaia doesn’t get him out early, probably in the first three rounds, he will methodically break him down, ending it before the championship rounds.”
Opetaia-Wilder is expected to be the standout undercard offering on the Fury-Joshua bill on Friday, December 11, with the remainder of the Netflix-broadcasted card expected to be revealed imminently.
