very good fighter but I wouldnt go to hw if him. should just target one of other 3 beltholders since ibf being idiots.
If he was to move to Heavyweight it would be nice for him to give Breidis a rematch before moving up,plenty would like to see that fight ran again .
Why not? Povetkin was also not particularly big for a heavyweight, but he was still very successful, considering the state of the division and the small number of good fights, Opetaia could be good...
Maybe Jai doesn't want to consume vast amounts of pharmaceutical grade "enhancements" like Sasha did.
I think he could move to Heavyweight but I'm not sure he will. He seems motivated to rule the roost at Cruiser notwithstanding the IBF's antics. If someone like Tyson Fury wanted to do a fight in Australia you might see him make the jump but otherwise I think he's good at Cruiser. We've got a good young Heavy in Justis Huni & another behind him on the Olympics team. They're much bigger blokes physically than Jai. I wouldn't rule out a jump to Heavyweight though. To state the obvious, he'll go where the money is.
I think he'll move to HW. It's really hard to make good money as a CW right now. From 2007 onward, most of the interest in that division was from RUS and UKR (Ryabinsky almost single-handedly rebuilt the division after Mormeck and Haye left). Obviously, that's off the table now. I don't think Opetaia can be a major player at HW, but the belts will probably get scattered after Fury and Usyk have had their fun. Given the resulting disarray it's possible that a promoter can market Opetaia as a viable opponent for their A-sider. Jai deserves better treatment, but you gotta eat.
I think he has mooted going to heavyweight. And I think when he does he will win whatever belts he likes there. He's not super big but he is lighting quick, very smart, has dynamite on both sides and possesses world class ability to take a shot. I could absolutely see him ruling at heavyweight as there clearly isn't a cruiserweight that goes anywhere near him. Billam-Smith would get murdered and he beats Breidis in a rematch pretty easily I think. After that, what is there for him at cruiserweight really? He should step up and test himself and get the big money that comes with the big boys. Why not? He would be a serious issue for any of them. I like Huni but he lacks power. Opetaia is an amazing fighter though and I think will get away with being on the small side. Would love to see him fight Usyk.
Jai is going to be sparring with Tyson Fury in the next few weeks to help him prepare for Usyk. Unless you're a cruiserweight who moved up from light heavyweight, or a cruiserweight who routinely comes in 10 pounds under the cruiser limit, you're a heavyweight. You're just looking for easier pickings at cruiser. That's the truth. Everyone knows it. That's why the division was created, after all. Jai weighed nearly 210 pounds for a heavyweight fight eight years ago. He weighed 217 pounds for a heavyweight fight a couple years after that.
