In July 2022, relatively unknown Australian fighter Jay Opetaia defeated cruiserweight legend Mairis Briedis. Regardless of his age (37 at the time), Latvia was still considered the best fighter in the 200-pound division. This battle of the year contender showed the world that Opetaia has all the necessary tools to be at the top: physical abilities, courage and determination.
During 2023, he knocked out two opponents who were both severely overmatched, Jordan Thompson and Ellis Zorro. These two easy victories attracted even more attention from the boxing public outside his native country. In May of this year, with another win over Briedis, Jay confirmed his status as the IBF champion and the best cruiserweight in the world at the moment.
The fight with Jack Massey
Although this clash is only one of the opening fights on the Dmitry Bivol vs Artur Beterbiev card, both fighters could benefit from it. Given the importance of the main event, this will be a great opportunity for Opetaia to attract more casual fans, who may not yet be familiar with his immense talents in the ring.
With his large frame, “One smack” Jack belongs to the heavyweights, something he has confirmed time and time again among the big guys. At 6 feet 4 inches, he is taller than Opetaia and has a larger arm span. Boxing behind a fairly solid jab, Massey is very disciplined and patient, with more than solid technique. Victory against very good Isaac Chamberlain is the best indication of his abilities.
However, physical characteristics favor the Australian. Opetaia moves like a middleweight, has pretty good hand speed and powerful jab. He boxes with short, precise combinations and is very dangerous on the counter attack. If the opponent is shaken, he can finish the match quickly. Ellis Zorro fight is the best example.
In addition, Opetaia has another quality of a great champion: he can stay calm even when he takes a serious beating. In the fourth round of the first fight, Briedis broke his jaw, but Jay boxed eight more rounds and won. With only 25 matches, he looks like a veteran of the ring. All in all, Jay is the favorite against Massey. Although the Brit is expected to put up a good fight, this matchup will still go to the Aussie fighter, most likely by unanimous decision, even a possible knockout in the later rounds.
Cruiserweight landscape
Chris Billiam-Smith and Richard Riakporhe faced each other for the second time in June this year. Billiam-Smith won a hard-fought decision, but more importantly, neither was on the level of Briedis, who was beaten twice by Opetaia. Jay’s athleticism would also be decisive here, and then of course his technical skills and excellent amateur pedigree.
WBC champion Noel Mikaelian is another possible contender if he can defeat tough Canadian Ryan Rozicki later this year. Most boxing experts expect Opetaia to unify all the belts in the next year or two, opening up the possibility of moving up in weight and challenging the big boys, something every real boxing fan would love to see.
,){kind=link}