There’s a lot of admiration from me towards Jordan Thompson but he has a huge test in front of him this Saturday and he’s going to need to be perfect. Jai Opetaia is very much the real deal and he’s coming to London as the world’s best cruiserweight and that’s going to be a huge incentive for Thompson if he can get the win and become IBF cruiserweight champion.
There’s a massive jump from the level Thompson has been operating at to what he has in front of him this weekend, but sometimes you just need to know how good you can be. In an ideal world, a boxer will want to do well at a certain level before moving on, but those opportunities aren't always there and sometimes you just have to grab what’s presented to you.
In Thompson, there’s a lot to like. He’s athletic, strong, and he hits very hard, but I do wonder if his best days could be at heavyweight. He’s 6ft 6ins and that’s absolutely huge at any weight and there's a little part of me that’s worrying whether he can make the weight okay. This is his moment in the spotlight, and he’ll push himself to the limit to get down to what he needs to, but will that cost him on the night?
The one time Thompson did have to go late in a fight saw him almost come unstuck against Vasil Ducar last year. Jordan got sloppy in the fight’s second half and after being dropped in the last round, he had to ride out a storm. That was a little worrying, but it may have provided with him the lesson that he needed to learn going into this one.
Opetaia has had potential for a long time, and he finally realised that last year when he was far too good for Mairis Briedis. I’ve been a fan of the Latvian for a long time as he was a solid fighter when I fought, but Opetaia made it look easy at times and he collected the world title in front of his own fans.
His career has largely been based in Australia so he may have to deal with a hostile crowd all backing Thompson, but I’m not so sure that will intimidate him. He looks a solid pro who is getting better, but he’ll need to be wary of Thompson’s power, which is huge in the early stages. Opetaia should get the job done but I think it’ll be entertaining whilst it lasts, and Thompson might wish afterwards he’d take this one a year or so down the line.