Jai Opetaia hasn’t lost a round of ambition since ripping the IBF and Ring cruiserweight belts from Mairis Briedis two summers ago. On Saturday night (Sunday afternoon local time) he returns to the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre to defend those titles against unbeaten but unproven Italian challenger Claudio Squeo. For the Australian southpaw, the bout is strictly an “avoid-rust” assignment before the unification he craves with WBO/WBA ruler Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramírez - possibly on the Canelo Álvarez-Terence Crawford undercard in September.
Opetaia was forced to postpone the fight three weeks after tweaking a rib in sparring, yet insists he is fully healed and wary of a desperate opponent: “These nervous-energy guys turn dangerous once the bell rings,” he told DAZN. Squeo has boxed only once in the past 20 months and never outside Italy, but the 30-year-old arrives fearless, knowing an upset would fast-track him from obscurity to elite status. Opetaia’s camp has drilled short, explosive sparring partners to mimic Squeo’s burst-and-retreat style; the champion expects early fireworks before his own precision takes over.
Watch Opetaia vs. Squeo press conference highlights: Watch
A victory would extend Opetaia’s run of four stoppages in his last five fights and pile public pressure on Ramírez, whose team has so far kept negotiations at a simmer. “The best need to fight the best,”* Opetaia said. “But none of it matters if I slip now. Squeo’s in the way - he has to go.”
Learn more about Opetaia vs. Squeo here.
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