Jai Opetaia Warned: Move Up to Heavyweight Now or Regret It Later

The consensus among fans is that Jai Opetaia needs to move up to heavyweight now to face Moses Itauma, rather than waiting until he completes his potentially fruitless goal of becoming the undisputed cruiserweight champion of the division.

The Cruiserweight Trap

The problem with Opetaia (28-0, 22 KOs) staying at cruiserweight to win the three belts he needs to become undisputed is that none of the champions are showing an urgency to fight him.

Zurdo & Jack Won’t Step Up

• Gilberto Ramirez: WBA and WBO
• Badou Jack: WBC
• Jai Opetaia: IBF

Jai is 30 years old, and it could take him quite a long time to capture the three titles he needs. If it takes him three to four years to round up the remaining belts, he may not be the same fighter physically by the time he reaches 33 or 34.

Speed Won’t Last Forever

Opetaia’s main asset is his hand speed. Once that starts to erode with age, he’s just another one of the many heavy-handed fighters. That may not be enough once he’s at heavyweight. Speed is what he needs. 

“What about Moses Itauma against Jai Opetaia?” said analyst Johnny Nelson to talkSport Boxing.

“Today, I would take that fight because I think Jai Opetaia is so clever, and he’ll confront with something,” said host Simon Jordan about his thoughts on Opetaia needing to move up to heavyweight now to fight Moses Itauma. “He should be going up now.”

I agree with Jordan. Opetaia needs to get a clue and recognize that he needs to move up now to heavyweight, not later. It’s parently obvious that the two cruiserweight champions that Opetaia needs to fight, Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez and Badou Jack, aren’t showing interest in fighting him.

So, unless they’re offered a fortune to fight him, they’ll hold onto their straps and continue defending them against the mostly beatable contenders. It’s an utterly weak division where a capable champion can milk their titles for years, making decent money before eventually being dethroned.

Go Now, Jai — Before It’s Too Late

“Without a doubt,” said Nelson, agreeing with Simon about Opetaia needing to make the move to heavyweight now rather than waiting until he finishes capturing the remaining three titles he needs to become undisputed cruiserweight champion.

“I wouldn’t hang about for these boys at cruiserweight because they don’t want to do it. There’s no dough there,” said Nelson about Jai wasting his time.