Jai Opetaia is the Ring champion and despite having won the Zuffa belt and subsequently been stripped of his IBF title and removed from the IBF rankings, is still ranked #3 by the WBC and #1 by the WBA. The WBC and WBA both saw - like the rest of us - what transpired in Opetaia's last fight. Yet they both continue to rank Opetaia? Why? Ramirez, the WBA champion (and WBO champion), has never shown the least bit of interest in fighting Opetaia. So let's forget about the WBA belt for the moment. There has however been talk for some time of Opetaia fighting WBC champion, Mikaelian. What happens if that fight gets made? Do the WBC give Opetaia the ultimatum that he has to vacate the Zuffa title or they will take the WBC belt off the table? Or do they just step in the way of the fight taking place? Anyone see the wood from the trees in the cruiserweight division at the moment?
Dana White and team Opetaia were saying they would take the IBF to court over its stripping of Opetaia. That seems to have gone very quiet and if they are serious, they better get a move on because the IBF will be looking to make Billam-Smith vs Riley for the vacant title before too much longer.
None of the other champions will fight him and there are no other big fights for him in the division. Jai should move up theres nothing for him at cruiserweight and boxing fans should never forget that the other champions are ducks. The division is in a sorry state
Benavidez v Opetaia is the fight to make if Benavidez gets past Ramirez, unless Benavidez drops back down a division to Light Heavyweight after the fight .
You are assuming the heavyweights will be anymore keen to fight Opetaia than the cruiserweights are. What makes him attractive to other heavyweights? He doesn't hold a heavyweight title. Probably won't be gifted a high heavyweight ranking for coming up a division. Isn't a huge crowd puller and is probably a bigger risk than a reward fight.
Benavidez has already made it clear every time someone has asked him, that his foray into cruiserweight is a hit and run mission and he intends to return straight back to light heavyweight after fighting Ramirez. If Ramirez wins, we are back to square one because he seems to have no intention fighting Opetaia. If Benavidez wins and then vacates, at least Opetaia is well enough placed at WBA #1 and WBC #3 to expect a call up for a fight for one of the vacated titles. But how will the WBA and WBC treat the fact that Opetaia holds the Zuffa title? That is potentially going to be a stumbling block and if the WBA and WBC see it as a stumbling block, why are they continuing to rank Opetaia so highly?
I honestly don't think Oscar has any intention whatsoever of putting Ramirez in with Opetaia, less so now that he's with Zuffa but even before that he had no interest, I don't ever recall him even mentioning that fight
Fully agree the Zuffa Title is an interesting one to see how that plays out,I think if Benavidez beats Ramirez he may well move back down to go after the Bivol fight,but I can certainly see Benavidez at some point moving up to Cruiser in the future,if Opetaia is still there though remains to be seen. This Cruiserweight Division now is night and day compared to the one Usyk fought in mind,I think we can both agree on that. Maybe it will take another Tournament to get the division re ignited again .
Not that long ago, Ramirez actually claimed to not know who Opetaia was. Shows how 'keen' Ramirez was to unify the titles.
Something needs to happen to reinvigorate the cruiserweight division because it is its own worst enemy.
I don't think Jai is big enough for heavyweight. I can't see him having any impact on someone like Hrgovic. Okolie and Riakpore are big, big guys. Seeing them now makes you question how they ever made 200lbs. Jai is 6'2"? And has a small frame. There's been moments where he's been rocked at cruiser. I could see Hrgy just pinging him into submission with his 1-2. Jai throwing back and having no effect. Cruiser is the perfect weight for Jai, just as Light Heavy is for Bivol.
Agree. Opetaia is a natural cruiserweight and unfortunately for him, so dominant at that weight he is avoided like the plague.
