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Eddie Hearn says IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia will potentially challenge Oleksandr Usyk for his world heavyweight titles at “12 to 18 months” with the help of “money from” Turki Al-Shiekh.
Hearn revealed that the plan is to boost Opetaia’s “credibility” by first making him the undisputed cruiserweight champion by capturing the WBA, WBC and WBO belts from Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez and Badou Jack. Once Opetaia (27-0, 21 KOs) does that, he’ll move up to heavyweight to challenge Usyk for his belts if he hasn’t retired or been defeated by someone before.
Skip the line?
There’s something disheartening about Opetaia being given a title shot in his first heavyweight fight without at least fighting a title eliminator or a top contender waiting to compete for a world title. When a fighter gets a straight title shot without even competing in the division first, boxing seems less like an actual sport and more about popularity and money.
As good as Opetaia looked on Wednesday night, knocking out David Nyika (10-1, 9 KOs) in the fourth round at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, Broadbeach, in Queensland, Australia, it’s hard to imagine him defeating competitors from heavyweight like Martin Bakole. .
18 month plan
“Jai is going to pick up all the belts at cruiserweight to be undisputed, and then we want to push him to fight Oleksandr Usyk in the heavyweight division to try to be undisputed as well,” Eddie Hearn told DAZNtalking about wanting Jai Opetaia to pick up all the cruiserweight titles and then move up to heavyweight to do the same up there.
“I think he’s the only person at cruiserweight or heavyweight that can really give Oleksandr Usyk a real, real fight, but in order to do that, we have to take all the cruiserweight belts first to give him credibility and His Excellency’s money to bring Oleksandr Usyk into the ring.
“Trust me, 12 to 18 months from now, Jai Opetaia vs. Oleksandr Usyk is an all-time classic,” Hearn said.
Opetaia could come unstuck when he steps in with WBA and WBO Cruiserweight Champion “Zurdo” Ramirez (47-1, 30 KOs). This is a big step up from Nyika and a fading Mairis Briedis. He could lose Zurdo, which would ruin Hearn’s vision of him moving up to challenge Usyk.
In Usyk’s case. He could either retire early or be defeated by IBF champion Daniel Dubois. Usyk won’t wait for Opetaia to collect all the cruiserweight belts before fighting again. He will remain active, and one of the obvious fights that could happen next is a rematch with Dubois.
Oleksandr was lucky not to get knocked out in his fight on August 26, 2023. He was taken down by what appeared to be a legal shot, but the referee deemed it a low blow. Replays showed it was on the waist line. Dubois will focus on Usyk’s body in a rematch, knowing he is weak there.
