That doesn’t mean it makes sense.
Mikaeljan took a lot of punishment against Jack in a rough fight. He hit clean and often. Asking him to jump right back against a pressure fighter like Opetaia would be a bad move, especially when the WBC will let him take a voluntary defense first.
Opetaia says now is the time.
“I’m the Ring Magazine and IBF champion. He’s the WBC champion,” Opetaia continued Boxing scene. “The fans want to see who is the real number one.”
That urgency is understandable. But it also cuts both ways.
Warning signs that show
Opetaia wants to complete his undisputed run before moving up to heavyweight, but that plan is on hold. Worse, his last fight raised some red flags. He was bumped early by the 40-year-old Huseyin Cinkara and took a lot of shots. His face told the story after the fight, with visible swelling and bruising.
That stuff connects.
The longer Opetaia stays at cruiserweight chasing belts that don’t line up, the more miles he puts on himself. If he finally moves up to heavyweight after years of delays, he won’t arrive fresh. He will arrive dressed.
Opetaia’s co-manager, Spencer Brown, says the Mikaeljan fight is the logical next step. Maybe it is. But logic doesn’t always matter in this section. Titles remain frozen. Mandatory battles stand in the way. Timelines fall apart.
At some point, Opetaia has to decide how long he is willing to wait.
If the unification battles don’t materialize in 2026, it might be smarter to move on. There’s more money, bigger fights and fewer roadblocks at heavyweight. What Opetaia cannot afford is to reach this division after his best years are already over.
