Jai Opetaia (25-0, 19 KOs) is riding the crest of a wave and has become one of boxing's most exciting talents.
The current IBF cruiserweight champion had his breakout moment back in 2022 when he was involved in a brutal fight with Mairis Briedis who held the same belt.
The pair exchanged heavy blows throughout the 12 rounds at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, but Opetaia did enough to get the win by unanimous decision. This victory did come at a cost with Opetaia revealing that he had broken jaw post fight.
It would be over a year until Opetaia would make the first defence of his belt and it would take place in London against Jordan Thompson.
What transpired at the OVO Arena Wembley was a one sided beatdown with Opetaia knocking down Thompson twice before the referee stopped the fight in round four.
Speaking to DAZN, former world middleweight champion Darren Barker explained why Opetaia's footwork has played a crucial part in making him one of the world's best pound-for-pound fighters.
"His feet, his footwork is one of the best in pound-for-pound boxing," Barker said.
"The way he glides in and out with such ease makes him a nightmare for his opponents."
Opetaia's footwork was also highlighted by DAZN presenter Ade Oladipo who was impressed with the speed which the Australian can generate with his movement, and it was on full show when facing Thompson.
"I look not just at his footwork, but it's the speed as well," Oladipo began.
"It's the way he closes the gap, I remember watching that fight against Jordan Thompson who is long and rangy, he's here and then he's there, and he's right in your face."
Former WBO world heavyweight champion Joseph Parker expanded on Opetaia's exceptional movement further, and why it perfectly suits his hard-hitting style inside the ring.
"For me when I watch Jai, I like his movement.
"I like that he’s got very good footwork, and in order to land these big bombs and big power shots, you need to be able to move in and out."
Jai Opetaia vs. Jack Massey fight card |
|---|
|
Since the win over Thompson, Opetaia has added two more wins to his record after successes against Ellis Zorro and a rematch with Briedis on the undercard of Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk last May.
The Australian will be looking to end 2024 on a high on October 12 when he faces Jack Massey, a former opponent of Parker's, on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol which will be broadcast live from Riyadh on DAZN.
Watch Opetaia vs. Massey on DAZN
DAZNWatch Jai Opetaia and Jack Massey, plus the whole Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol fight card on DAZN Pay-Per-View, which also includes Fabio Wardley, Frazer Clarke, Chris Eubank Jr, Ben Whittaker and Skye Nicolson all fighting.
The PPV is priced at £19.99 for UK viewers. To purchase and find the prices in your region click here.
Purchasing the PPV includes a seven-day free trial of all of DAZN's programming across a range of sports.
DAZN is home of boxing, showing over 150 fights a year, broadcasting a variety of boxing programming - press conferences, weigh-ins, exclusive interviews, documentaries and much more - week in, week out, 52 weeks a year from all around the world, in all divisions, at all levels.
More Boxing
- Boxing full schedule and calendar
- DAZN's upcoming Boxing shows
- Boxing rankings
- Boxing champions list in every division
- Fighter profiles and highlights
- How do weight classes work?
- What are the major boxing titles?
- How is boxing scored?