Heavyweight on hold: Jai Opetaia wants to unify, not Derek Chisora
Jai Opetaia has dismissed suggestions that he is considering a move to heavyweight and insisted that his focus remains on becoming the undisputed cruiserweight champion of the world.
The Australian, 30, has been recognised as the world’s finest cruiserweight since the first of his victories over Mairis Breidis in July 2022 when he resisted a broken jaw to win the IBF title, but over three years on and after again defeating Breidis in their rematch he is little closer to fighting his division’s other champions.
Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, the Mexican widely considered the world’s number two, defeated Chris Billam-Smith in 2024 to add the WBO title to that he already held from the WBA, but after victory over Yuniel Dorticos in June he required shoulder surgery that is expected to keep him out of the ring until 2026.
The WBC champion Badou Jack has agreed terms for a rematch with Noel Mikaelian and Opetaia has also been ordered to fight his mandatory challenger Huseyin Cinkara of Germany, taking the possibility of a unification title fight in 2025 beyond his reach.
Most recently his co-promoters Eddie Hearn and Mick Francis have spoken of the possibility of Opetaia moving up to heavyweight. The latter, also his manager, similarly told Fox Sports Australia that Turki Alalshikh of the General Entertainment Authority wants to match Opetaia with Derek Chisora of the UK. Asked of the possibility of him agreeing, however, Opetaia – who stopped the Italian Claudio Squeo in June – told BS: “Man, I’m chasing undisputed. I’ve got time under my belt. I’m only 30 years old. I want to become undisputed cruiserweight champion, and once that’s done I want to move up to heavy, or – whoever’s next, that’s who’s next. But, at the moment, undisputed is what I’m aiming for.
“I’ve been told that I’ve got the mandatory first, and we’re aiming for around November, but until I see signed papers in front of me it’s all talk. But we’re aiming for that, and then we’re gonna get Ramirez early next year. I just don’t understand how we have not got a unification fight next, or even yet. The WBC – Badou Jack – I do not understand why we are not fighting. It makes no sense to me. We want to see champions against champions – any unification fight overtakes a mandatory, you know what I mean? Let’s make it happen. I don’t know what’s going on.
“We’ve got the Cinkara fight, which is a serious fight. This guy’s dangerous. He’s a slick little boxer; we’ll prepare for war like we always do. Twelve hard rounds. And then once the job’s done, we just want unification fights. We’ve been chasing these unification fights for years now. I don’t understand why they’re not getting over the line.
“Whether [Cinkara’s team] want to go to purse bids or do this or do that, it does not bother me. I’m ready to fight. Let’s get it done, move forward, and get unifications. I want to become undisputed.
“I was meant to fight Cinkara [in January], and then he pulled out with an injury, and then I fought my mandatory against David Nyika. Now it’s back to the mandatory again.
“[It’s] very frustrating. But it is what it is. My whole career’s been frustrating. But we just got to keep pushing forward; keep training hard. I just believe that I’ll be undisputed one day, so I’ve gotta stay focused.”
Opetaia’s frustration extends directly to Ramirez, who he considers the world’s second best cruiserweight, and Jack for what he understands to be their reluctance to fight him – and also to Billam-Smith, on course to fight Roman Fress for the WBO interim title.
“I just got told [Jack and Ramirez] been asking for stupid numbers that are unrealistic – this is what I’ve been told,” he said. “Whether it’s true or not, I don’t know. I haven’t personally spoken to Badou Jack – maybe I should – and if he wants to reach out he should, ‘cause this fight, we can make it happen. I’ve got told that I could be fighting Ramirez early next year, which I’m excited for – that’s the fight that I’ve been chasing for a long time. Whatever unification fight comes first, it comes first. But, just, let’s make it happen.
“I feel we’re the top two, for sure. I’m one and [Ramirez is] two. This is what I’ve heard – both of them are asking for a lot. But if you’re gonna win the money’s gonna come. If you believe in yourself and you think you’re going to win the fight, I believe the money’s gonna come. I’ve been told they’ve been given a budget for a fight and want to split it 50-50. I said ‘No, bro, fornicate the 50-50 – if they want more, let’s give them more and get it over the line, because once we get this belt then we can go for another belt; my career’s not done’. I feel like I’m just there now. I’m at the top, so let’s stay here.
“With Billam-Smith, it’s frustrating, because I tried to fight Billam-Smith. I tried to get that unification fight for a long time as well, and he just took a different route. He wanted to go through Ramirez ‘cause he thought he was going to beat Ramirez. He just wasted time. It’s frustrating, but at the same time, he’s a respectable name, and that’s what I want to fight too. If I can’t get one of these unification fights, then [maybe] a fight with him – why not?
“The way I beat people, I never get the respect I deserve. I guarantee when I beat one of these boys they’ll be saying the same thing. ‘He’s at the end of his career.’ Just excuse after excuse. Because I beat them convincingly or outbox them, it’s, ‘It’s too soon for him; he’s not good enough; he’s this; he’s that’. There’s always an excuse. But it is what it is. I believe I’d convincingly beat one of these other champions as well. I just need them to take the fight.”
Opetaia was therefore asked if those frustrations – and there is little question that the heavyweight division would prove more lucrative for him, particularly if his move there is funded by the GEA – could, should he successfully defend his title against Cinkara, contribute to him running out of patience and moving up in weight ahead of when he plans, but he responded: “I’m not interested. We’ll see what happens. I’m chasing undisputed – I’ve been on a mission to become undisputed since I was a young boy. I’m not trying to let other people derail my focus or derail my goals. I’ve had this dream in my head to hold all these belts for a long, long time. I’m not trying to let nobody rush me.
“If I can go up and have a fight and then come back down, or if things can just work out to get to the road of undisputed… the thing is, if I go up to heavyweight, I don’t want to be a small dude mixing it up with these big dudes. If I go up in weight, to go up in weight and then come back down in weight… you know what I mean? Once I go up to heavyweight I want to stay there and put on good size, and I can – I’ll be able to put on some good size and stick around at 102 [kgs], 103, and put on some muscle. But to be able to go up like that and come back down when you’ve got the unification fights, it doesn’t work in my favour. It works in other people’s favour. That’s not why I’m here. I’m here to do a job. I’m here to become undisputed. Once I get these belts I’ll fight anyone. I’ll fight anyone in my division. I want to get these other champions. Once I’ve got that, then whatever happens, happens.
“This is ifs, buts and maybes. In my head, it just doesn’t make sense to me. How can these boys not want to fight for other world titles? Even if they want to fight for money, fighting me is the biggest fight in the division. Unless they want to have multiple fights that pay less, and keep holding the world title – which is pussy shit. Holding the belt, just to call themselves world champion, is weak. If they want to fight, and have a big fight, and be on a big card, I feel like I’m the only fight to have, for both of the champions. Even Ramirez against Badou Jack – me, against either of them, is a bigger fight in my eyes. I could be biased, but that’s just what I believe. Let’s just fight, man.
“It’s coming [at cruiserweight]. I just gotta stay ready, because it’s gonna come out of nowhere. These guys – it has to. I’ve fornicating envisioned it in my head since I was young, holding all these belts. I’m gonna get them.”
