Eddie Hearn says IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia could challenge Oleksandr Usyk for his world heavyweight titles “12 to 18 months” with the help of “money from” Turki Al-Shiekh.
Hearn stated that the plan is to increase Opetaia’s “credibility” by having him become the undisputed cruiserweight champion first by taking the WBA, WBC, and WBO belts from Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez and Badou Jack. If Opetaia (27-0, 21 KOs) does that, he will move up to heavyweight to challenge Usyk for his belts if he doesn’t retire or get beaten by someone before then.
Crossing the Line?
There is something wrong about Opetaia being given a title shot in his first fight at heavyweight without him at least fighting a title holder or one of the top contenders waiting for a world title shot. When a fighter gets an outright title shot without competing in a division first, boxing looks less like a real sport and more about fame and money.
Although Opetaia looked good on Wednesday night, knocking out David Nyika (10-1, 9 KOs) in the fourth round at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia, it’s hard to imagine him defeating heavyweight opponents like Martin Bakole. .
18 month program
“Jai will collect all the belts in the cruiserweight so that there will be no conflicts, then we want to push him in the fight against Oleksandr Usyk in the heavyweight division so that he can try again to be unopposed,” said Eddie Hearn speaking to DAZN, talking about the search. Jai Opetaia will collect all the titles at cruiserweight and move up to heavyweight to do the same there.
“I believe that he is the only person in cruiserweight or heavyweight who can give Oleksandr Usyk a real, real fight, but in order to do it, we have to take all the belts in cruiserweight first to give him credibility and money from the Hon. to make Oleksandr Usyk enter the ring.
“Trust me, in 12 to 18 months, Jai Opetaia versus Oleksandr Usyk is a game of the past,” Hearn said.
Opetaia could be undone when he takes on WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (47-1, 30 KOs). That is a big step for players like Nyika and the late Mairis Briedis. He could lose to Zurdo, which would ruin Hearn’s idea of stepping up to challenge Usyk.
In Usyk’s case. He may retire soon or be beaten by IBF champion Daniel Dubois. Usyk will not wait for Opetaia to collect all the belts at cruiserweight before he fights again. He will stay busy, and one of the more obvious fights could be a rematch with Dubois.
Oleksandr was lucky not to be disqualified from their fight on August 26, 2023. He was awarded a shot that looked like a legitimate group shot, but the referee saw it as little. Replays showed it was on the belt line. Dubois will focus on Usyk’s body in the rematch, knowing he is weak there.
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