Dream fight, Jai Opetaia vs. David Benavidez, who would take the win if they fought now?

Skills pay the bills, and David is easily big enough. He is bigger than Briedis who is one of the best cruisers of all time. Nykia is a domestic level fighter and its embarrassing to suggest he beats Benavidez. David will just have to cut less weight, but on fight night 200lbs is all he will need. Cruiser is a weak division even historically let alone now.

I have David stopping Jai btw.

btw if you have Nykia beating david, I assume you definitely have Zurdo beating him right?

 

No I would pick Nykia to beat Zurdo who I thinks cruiserweight reign has been very calculated and I disagree with your assessment of the cruiserweight division especially historically. In my opinion it has always been an underrated division.
I could say you are being ridiculous saying that Benanvidez would stop Jai. To me that is laughable. Benavidez couldn't even stop Caleb Plant or a shot Gvozdyk and a beast like Briedis broke Opetaia's jaw but still couldn't put him down and Briedis has slept full blown heavyweights before.

 

I asked you are you picking Zurdo to beat Benavidez. I assume you are if you think Nykia beats David.

As for stopping Jai, your logic is awful. David couldn't stop Plant, yet he could stop Yarde. duh. Canelo couldn't stop mathew hatton yet stopped Kovalev. Jai has proven to be brittle. A 40 year old Briedis 2 years out of the ring almost had him out late in the fight. If Gvozdyk was shot at 37 according to you, then Briedis was even more shot at 40 and two years out of the ring!

 

I don't rate Zurdo highly and I give Benanvidez a good shot at beating him but the jump in weight is going to be tough.
My logic is fine I think that you are using bad examples and that tells me you don't really understand the nuances of the sport. Age isn't the only criteria in being shot. Gvozdyk took a nasty beating from Beterbiev that put him on the shelf for over 2 years. Canelo was a kid when he fought Hatton and Kovalev was clearly compromised in their fight.
Calling Jai brittle seems like a stupid thing to say considering he fought on with a broken jaw for 6 rounds against Briedis. Briedis may have been past his best but he was not shot and was a world champion when he fought Jai. You are not comparing apples for apples lad.

 

So you give Nykia a good chance of beating Benavidez, but you give Benavidez a good shot at beating Zurdo? Which means you rate Nykia over Zurdo?

So 1 tko loss makes a fighter shot? It wasn't even a nasty beating go rewatch the fight. You are just making wild conclusions based on nothing. Gvozdy took a break during covid and came back in the best physical shape ever. No evidence he was shot.

Explain how Briedis at 40 years of age and 2 years out of the ring was not shot, but Gvozdyk at 37 and 3 tune up fights was shot.

Brittle just means he can be broken down and hurt, like a broken jaw, and busted up in their rematch. If a 40 year old Briedis can do it why cant a young lion like Benavidez?

 

Yes lad I have said about 3 times now that I think Nykia is better than Zurdo. I rate Nykia as a cruiser better. I think Zurdo was at his best at super middle when he had a good size advantage over his opponents.

You are leaving out context it was a grueling fight with Beterbiev where Gvozdyk had to be taken to hospital. Teddy Atlas spoke on his podcast how Gvozdyk was in a bad way after that fight and decided to retire.
Briedis has never really taken a beating even the great Usyk had trouble with him.
Well I disagree with Jai being brittle. You ask if Briedis can do it why can't Benavidez? Like I said before Briedis is a career long cruiserweight who has KO'd heavyweights and Benavidez does not hit anywhere near as hard as Briedis in my opinion. I would think this is pretty obvious to most hardcore boxing fans.

 

Ah... no. Considering he's not fought at 200lbs and Opetaia has 2 x wins over Briedis that's not accurate. Briedis would still be the second best Cruiser in the world if he was still boxing.

 

Benavidez is taller than Briedis but not bigger. I am not saying he couldn't gain weight ala Holyfield but naturally he seems to have a very slim build. I am not sure about his reach too

 

Yeah Nyika has a shw frame
I think he should fight there

 

Hey, if Benavidez beats Zurdo next May then of course I'm all for Benavidez facing Opetaia next so Opetaia can collect those belts. If Zurdo manages to hold Benavidez off for the distance then Zurdo has to face the music (Opetaia) or as many of his belts as possible should be stripped from him.

 

I don't really get the narritive that everyone is ducking Jai, Ramirez has been in there with Bivol and other good fighters. Apart from a washed up 50 year old Breidis, who has Jai fought?