jai opetaia
Nation
Date of birth
June 30, 1995 (28 Years Old)
Height
6 ft 2 (188 cm)
Reach
76 in (193 cm)
Wins
24
Losses
0
Ko's
19
jai opetaia
Nation
DATE OF BIRTH
June 30, 1995 (28 Years Old)
Height
6 FT 2 (188 CM)
REACH
76 IN (193 CM)
wins
24
Losses
0
ko's
19
Notable Opponents
Titles Won
IBF world cruiserweight
IBF youth cruiserweight
IBF pan-pacific cruiserweight
IBF asia-oceania cruiserweight
WBO global cruiserweight
Titles Won
IBF world cruiserweight
IBF youth cruiserweight
IBF pan-pacific cruiserweight
IBF asia-oceania cruiserweight
WBO global cruiserweight
Background
Opetaia won the Junior World Championships in 2011 and in 2012 managed to make it to the semi-finals of the AIBA World Youth Championships where he fell to defeat to win bronze. He also qualified for the 2012 London Olympics – subsequently becoming the youngest Australian boxer to compete – but he ended up losing in the first round to his opponent on points.
His winning form continued after his Olympic failure; in 2013 he won the Australian National Championships and in 2014 he repeated the feat. That marked his last competition win before he went pro.
Accomplishments
Jai Opetai debuted in the Cruiserweight division in 2015. In just twenty-one fights, Opetaia stayed thoroughly active, collecting a total of nine titles while essentially cleaning up any would-be contenders in his division while moving up the ranks.
With an unbeaten winning streak, Opetaia eventually landed atop his first opportunity for a world title against world and lineal champion Mairis Briedis on July 2nd in 2022. Opetaia came out the winner by unanimous decision to become The Ring lineal and IBF world champion, though he did suffer a broken jaw that prevented him from holding any post-fight interview.
Opetaia remained out of the ring for more than a year, until he made his return to the ring against British contender Jordan Thompson on September 30th. Jai Opetaia successfully completed the first defense of his world and lineal titles after defeating Thompson by TKO in the 4th round.
Opetaia took part in the ‘Day of Reckoning’ event on December 23rd where he was matched against British cruiserweight Ellis Zorro. Due to circumstances, Opetaia entered the ring with only The Ring lineal cruiserweight title which he successfully defended after defeating Zorro in the 1st round of their 12-round bout.
Boxing Style
With a KO ratio of 77%, Jai Opetaia has established himself as a lethal Southpaw finisher. His recent match against Mairis Briedis showcased his upper-tier skill when he displayed the ability to throw powerful punches and combinations off the back foot – i.e. the ability to box while countering, moving backwards or pivoting – as well as his footwork speed. He’s also capable of closing distances quickly, though he prefers to keep the fight at a distance.
He is therefore well-capable of dealing with pressure, though in the same fight against Briedis he seemed to struggle somewhat with fighting on the inside. His power seems to be his ace-in-the-hole as he doesn’t rely on it, yet it is capable of stunning and felling any opponent, especially on the counterattack.