CRUISER CONTROL
himself. He said both Ramirez and Jack are pricing themselves out of potential showdowns with the imposing Aussie, which, as Opetaia said, is the same as saying they don’t want the fight. Francis doesn’t know what will change so that Opetaia will get the opportunities to realize his goal of becoming undisputed champion. What he does know is that he has the right person in his corner, Turki Alalshikh of Riyadh Season, who he said expects the unification fights to happen next year. And, as Francis said, “When Turki wants things to happen, they usually happen.” “It’s a battle,” Francis went on. “If it were easy, it’d already be done. … What we need to do is trust the system, trust boxing royalty and persevere.” That’s exactly what Opetaia plans to do: persevere. He’s steadfast in his desire to hold the Ring and all four sanctioning body belts at 200 pounds, which he envisions will be a significant element of his legacy. And while he admits the process of making the necessary fights can be infuriating and won’t wait around forever, he’s in no hurry to take the next step. He’s only 30 years old, a pup in heavyweight years. One of the greatest cruiserweights-turned-heavyweights in history, Oleksandr Usyk, made his heavyweight debut at 32 and went on to secure Hall of Fame credentials in the sport’s glamour division. Opetaia has time. That’s why he’s baffled by the outside pressure to make his move sooner rather than later. “I’m not there yet,” Opetaia responded when he was asked whether he thinks about giving up on his goal at 200 pounds. “There’s still a long time to go. Think about it: Once I go up to heavyweight, I’m not coming back down. And the thing about the heavyweight division is that it’s not going anywhere. I can go up at any time, next year or in three, four years. “I don’t understand why they’re rushing me. I’m 30. I feel like people are pushing me to do this on their time, not mine.” Of course, it WILL happen. And when
victories over his biggest rivals in the weight class would raise his profile and become an important stepping stone to bigger (literally) and better things in the near future. Only one potential opponent would motivate him to move up in weight tomorrow: Usyk, who has twice beaten Joshua, Fury and Daniel Dubois over a four-year period to become an all- time great. Opetaia called the dream matchup “the kind of fight that comes once in a lifetime.” However, it’s highly unlikely to happen given Usyk’s age – he’ll be 39 in January – and the fact Opetaia is still building his name. So his focus remains squarely on his current division for the time being. And he’ll continue to operate as he has all along, working hard, pursuing the most meaningful fights and taking it a step at a time. And he trusts that he will accomplish his goals. And who knows? Maybe one day a rising young star – perhaps one from Australia – will be as excited to meet him as he was to meet Jones and Lewis. “I don’t really think like that,” he said, referring to the way he’s perceived. “I’m just chasing my dreams. I have since I had my first fight at 8 years old. I’m chasing to be undisputed and then take what comes after that, whether it’s a super fight or someone coming up. And then I’ll go up to heavyweight eventually. I’m just trying to do what I want to do. I’ve always had the goal in my head of becoming a world champion, to collect other belts and become undisputed. “Chasing my dreams and staying in my lane has led me to where I am today. Like I said, I just always try to level up and get better. That’s all I want to do.” And, as his manager Francis put it: “Jai wants to go down in history not only as one of the best fighters to come out of this region of the world but a global superstar. That’s his ambition, to have his family name in the history books. And I believe he’s on his way to doing that. “You can’t deny greatness.”
Only Opetaia has stopped British contender Jack Massey.
it does, he wants to do it properly. Moving from 200 pounds to heavyweight – especially in an age of super heavyweights like Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury – is not a matter of slapping on a few pounds and then jumping into the ring with a contender or champion. Opetaia will have to work closely with a nutritionist and conditioning coach to add weight intelligently and gradually. He understands that the transition is a painstaking process, one that could play a significant role in whether he succeeds or fails at the next level. Usyk, who is 6-foot-3, did it well. He went from 198¼ pounds for his
final cruiserweight fight (against Tony Bellew) in 2018 to 215 pounds in his first heavyweight bout (against Chazz Witherspoon) 11 months later, meaning the Ukrainian took almost a year to add bulk. He has topped out at 227¼ (in his second fight with Daniel Dubois) in July. Opetaia is 6-foot-2 and walks around at 210 pounds, perhaps a bit more if he’s not particularly active. That’s a clear indication that he has a lot of work to do when the time comes. Has Usyk provided the perfect blueprint for Opetaia? No, he said. He finds inspiration from his predecessors but, as he said, “everyone is different.” He’ll do it his way. “I think if I do it properly, if I do it
want to do it the way we should do it, once we make that decision. “Obviously I want to fight for a world heavyweight championship one day. I’ve been boxing my whole life. I’ve always had something to win, something to prepare for – national titles, world championships, the Olympics. I’ve always had a purpose, a goal. It’s not just about fighting. That’s why the thought process of the other cruiserweights doesn’t make sense to me. We’re just staying in the same spot. Why not level up?” Yes, it always goes back to the cruiserweight division at this moment in Opetaia’s career. That’s his obsession. He’s convinced that
smart, things will work out well,” he said. “You have to do it correctly. It’s a process. I don’t understand guys who say, ‘Oh, you just have to put on a little weight.’ You have to work hard to be strong. I’m confident I can do that. People say, ‘You have the ability, the hand speed,’ stuff like that. No. You have to do it properly. Of course, the heavyweight division is the heavyweight division. It has the ‘wow’ factor, which goes back to the days of Ali and Holyfield and Lewis and Fury. I just
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