Simon Jordan asks if Jai Opetaia still wants Chris Billam-Smith fight

One option that refuses to go away is a long-rumored clash with Jai Opetaia.

Opetaia is the opponent Billam-Smith has been chasing for more than a year. If the Australian is unable to secure a fight with David Benavidez, Billam-Smith could finally get the opportunity to test himself against the fighter many consider the no. 1 cruiserweight in the world.

However, Jordan questioned whether the game has the same meaning it once did.

“If we were to get Jai on the phone and say, ‘Do you want to fight Chris?’ It could be like, ‘Well, maybe not as much as I wanted after 12 months,'” journalist Jordan said on talkSPORT Boxing when discussing Billam-Smith’s future. “That was when Chris had a belt. That was when Jai had a belt.”

Jordan noted that both fighters were in stronger negotiating positions when the fight was first discussed. Opetaia was chasing undisputed status at the time, while Billam-Smith held the WBO title.

The picture has since shifted. Billam-Smith lost his title to Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez, while Opetaia relinquished the IBF belt earlier this year. Despite these changes, Opetaia remains the Ring Cruiserweight Champion and is still considered by many to be the division’s leading figure.

Whether the fight happens could ultimately depend on Benavidez’s next move. If the undefeated American goes in a different direction, Billam-Smith could still provide Opetaia with a meaningful challenge and one of the more recognizable names available at cruiserweight.

The opportunity for Billiam-Smith would represent more than another payday. It would be a chance to prove he could defeat the man widely considered the best cruiserweight on the planet.