Tony Bellew is a big admirer of Jai Opetaia and he’ll be watching when the Australian superstar defends his world title against David Nyika later this month.
On January 8, live on DAZN , Opetaia will look to get his 2025 off to a brilliant start when he goes in with the heavy-handed New Zealander.
The contest has the Australian boxing community excited as Opetaia aims to improve his unbeaten record before seeking unification fights at cruiserweight.
One potential battle could come against Gilberto Ramirez following the Mexican's dominant victory over Chris Billam-Smith at the backend of last year.
That potential showdown is undoubtedly the biggest fight at cruiserweight, but Opetaia first has to deal with the threat of Nyika.
Bellew, a former world champion, competed in the same weight class as Opetaia when he was an active fighter, and he’s had his say on how a potential contest would’ve played out.
“He’s a stylistic nightmare for me,” revealed Bellew when speaking to DAZN late last year.
“He’s a southpaw with a big punch so there’s a couple of problems and he’s also capable of fighting on the inside so he has a lot of things going for him.
“I’d welcome the challenge, and I will say he does give you some openings. I’d have to take advantage of that, but it would be a hard night. That’s what I’ll say about him.”
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