Which former heavyweight champ could Jai Opetaia have beaten?

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by Mark Anthony, Aug 29, 2024.


  1. Mark Anthony

    Mark Anthony Internet virgin Full Member

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    Which former heavyweight champ could Jai Opetaia have beaten if Jai had been born in a different era? Could he have beaten former champs that were the same size as him or smaller etc.?
     
  2. dmt

    dmt Hardest hitting hw ever Full Member

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    He is very hittable even though i like him. So even in an earlier era, i don't see him beating massive hitters like Foreman and Liston.

    I think Jai is fast and talented. Do i think he could beat someone quicker than him like an Ali? No. Nor do i think he could beat a guy like Tyson who surpasses him in speed and power.

    I think Opetaia could beat the following: Chris Byrd, Ray Mercer, Tommy Morrison (assuming WBO counts), Trevor Berbick, Pinklon Thomas, Leon Spinks, Jimmy Ellis, Ernie Terrell, Ignemar Johansson, Floyd Patterson.
     
  3. Mark Anthony

    Mark Anthony Internet virgin Full Member

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    I don`t he could beat Mercer due to how well Ray did v Lewis and he`d have to be very careful of Tommy and Floyd`s left hooks, Jai has never been hit with a left hook as fast as Tommy`s and never faced the handspeed of Patterson but Floyd wouldn`t be able to take Jai`s power either. I think Leon with the right training could have been a good cruiser he had better head movement than Jai does and Larry Holmes would have done the same thing to Jai that he did to Leon.
     
  4. The Cryptkeeper

    The Cryptkeeper Well-Known Member Full Member

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    He’d make Morrison look stupid. Tommy had massive power but Jai can stay out of the way and box Tommy’s ears off.

    Jai is also incredibly durable. Morrison could be cracked. His chin was suspect.
     
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  5. Mark Anthony

    Mark Anthony Internet virgin Full Member

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    Tommy got off the floor to beat Ruddock who hit harder than anyone his size or smaller.
     
  6. hobby rider

    hobby rider Well-Known Member Full Member

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  7. Unique Way

    Unique Way Active Member Full Member

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    He would KO glass-jawed Maskaev, school Valuev, probably would school Briggs too. I can see him stopping Morrison, Seldon, Hide, beating Ruiz, Rahman and buch of old-timers.
     
  8. Soi Six

    Soi Six daddy, daddy cool, daddy, daddy cool banned Full Member

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    Mercer wasn't a world champion. He held the WBO in 1991 which is like what the IBO is now.

    Opetaia could've beaten a lot of them. There's no way the likes of Liakhovich, Briggs, Rahman, Maskaev, Peter etc. would've beaten Opetaia.
     
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  9. MarkusFlorez99

    MarkusFlorez99 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I wouldn't write them off like that especially since Opetaia has no resume
     
  10. Dynamicpuncher

    Dynamicpuncher Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Rahman beat Corrie Sanders, Lennox Lewis, and should've got a decision win over David Tua. Rahman had 41 stoppages and was a big puncher with that right hand.
     
  11. Rilz

    Rilz Ball don't lie! Full Member

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    Some wild answers in this thread for a guy who hasn't fought at HW yet.
     
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  12. Dubblechin

    Dubblechin Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    By my count (and I may have missed someone) there have been roughly 75 cruiserweight champions in history.

    Only three actually became a WBC, WBA, IBF or WBO heavyweight champion. (Holyfield, Haye and most recently Usyk)

    Some may add Toney, but he was immediately stripped and the fight declared a no contest when he got caught with PEDs.

    But, essentially, 95 percent of cruiserweight champions never become heavyweight champion.

    So, who does Opetai beat to become heavyweight champion?

    Odds are, probably nobody.

    Here's the list.

    01. Evander Holyfield (became World heavyweight champ)
    02. Lee Roy Murphy
    03. S.T. Gordon
    04. Marvin Camel
    05. Ossie Ocasio
    06. Alfonso Ratliff
    07. Piet Crous
    08. Bernard Benton
    09. Dwight Muhammad Qawi
    10. Rickey Parkey
    11. Carlos DeLeon
    12. Taoufik Belbouli
    13. Robert Daniels
    14. Glen McCrory
    15. Boone Pultz
    16. Jeff Lampkin
    17. Magna Havna
    18. Massimiliano Duran
    19. Bobby Czyz
    20. Anaclet Wamba
    21. James Warring
    22. Tyrone Booze
    23. Al “Ice” Cole
    24. Markus Bott
    25. Nester Giovannini
    26. Orlin Norris
    27. Dariusz Michalczewski
    28. Ralf Rocchigiani
    29. Nate “Mr.” Miller
    30. Marcello Dominguez
    31. Adolpho Washington
    32. Carl Thompson
    33. Uriah Grant
    34. Imamu Mayfield
    35. Fabrice Tiozzo
    36. Juan Carlos Gomez
    37. Arthur Weathers
    38. Johnny Nelson
    39. Wayne Braithwaite
    40. Vasily Jirov
    41. Kelvin Davis
    42. Virgil Hill
    43. James Toney
    44. O’Neil Bell
    45. Enzo Maccarinelli
    46. Firat Arslan
    47. David Haye (became WBA Heavyweight Champ)
    48. Jean-Marc Mormeck
    49. Guillermo Jones
    50. Giacobbe Fragomeni
    51. Tomasz Adamek
    52. Marco Huck
    53. Zsolt Erdei
    54. Steve Cunningham
    55. Krzysztof Wlodarczyk
    56. Grigory Drozd
    57. Yoan Pablo Hernandez
    58. Tony Bellew
    59. Krzysztof Glowacki
    60. Victor Emilio Ramirez
    61. Beibut Shumenov
    62. Ryad Merhy
    63. Denis Lebedev
    64. Yuniel Dorticos
    65. Murat Gassiev
    66. Oleksandr Usyk (became World Heavyweight Champion)
    67. Arsen Goulamirian
    68. Ilunga Makabu
    69. Badou Jack
    70. Gilberto Ramirez
    71. Noel Mikaelyan
    72. Mairis Briedis
    73. Lawrence Okolie
    74. Chris Billiam-Smith
    75. Jai Opetaia
     
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  13. Dubblechin

    Dubblechin Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Right.
     
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  14. Soi Six

    Soi Six daddy, daddy cool, daddy, daddy cool banned Full Member

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    Nate Tubbs beat Corrie Sanders. He wasn't that good, Rahman. He had some good wins, but he'd be an underdog against Opetaia.
     
  15. Dubblechin

    Dubblechin Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    :hang