BoxRec

Jai Opetaia vs Prime Denis Lebedev in a battle of two southpaw boxer-punchers.

How do you see it going?

Knew somebody would do a Jai thread the day he beat up a 10-fight amateur

giacomino wrote: ↑08 Jan 2025, 18:56 Knew somebody would do a Jai thread the day he beat up a 10-fight amateur

When fighters are fresh off their performance, it's a little easier to weigh-in on their abilities (IMO). I also think Niyka isn't that bad. Wasn't ready for this level, but he has the future.

And not that Jai didn't beat anyone before that. At the end of the day, he has two wins over Briedis

How do you think he matches up with Lebedev?

I don’t blame Jai, he has to fight who is in front of him, but a match with a 10-fight pro who had beaten nobody to get a title shot was only going to end one way.
I was never super high on Lebedev and would think the current Jai would beat him up over 12 rounds, probably stopping him late.

Yeah, Lebedev wasn't supergood. Also, he was ugly.

giacomino wrote: ↑09 Jan 2025, 04:11 I don’t blame Jai, he has to fight who is in front of him, but a match with a 10-fight pro who had beaten nobody to get a title shot was only going to end one way.
I was never super high on Lebedev and would think the current Jai would beat him up over 12 rounds, probably stopping him late.

That I agree with. But Niyka was a replacement opponent. Opetaia's initial foe was supposed to be a 39 year old mandatory. For a replacement, Niyka was a good one.

DrDuke wrote: ↑09 Jan 2025, 04:29 Yeah, Lebedev wasn't supergood. Also, he was ugly.

He was vulnerable. But I also think he was a decent fighter.

There is an argument, that fights against Huck and Gassiev could've gone his way. His record could be better, in that case.

There's no argument he was ugly.

EdwardRevolver1993 wrote: ↑09 Jan 2025, 06:51

giacomino wrote: ↑09 Jan 2025, 04:11 I don’t blame Jai, he has to fight who is in front of him, but a match with a 10-fight pro who had beaten nobody to get a title shot was only going to end one way.
I was never super high on Lebedev and would think the current Jai would beat him up over 12 rounds, probably stopping him late.

That I agree with. But Niyka was a replacement opponent. Opetaia's initial foe was supposed to be a 39 year old mandatory. For a replacement, Niyka was a good one.

Niyka was better than the “mandatory,” who was a bullshyte opponent. Jai would have KO’d the mandatory within two rounds