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Jai Opetaia's knockout win over Ellis Zorro was one for the ages, and he's not stopping there.
The rising Australian is seen as a potential future star for the sport. Holding a 23-0 record, Opetaia was one of the names tabbed for the high-profile 'Day of Reckoning' Card, slated for Saudi Arabia. There, he faced the lightly-regarded Zorro.
The bout comes together at quite the price for the cruiserweight champion. He took the payday from the Saudis to face Zorro but was stripped of his IBF title as a result. The sanctioning body wanted him to rematch Mairis Briedis but he opted for the payday.
That was seemingly the right decision. On the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin, Jai Opetaia scored a highlight-reel knockout win over Ellis Zorro in round one. In the process, he retained his The Ring ceremonial cruiserweight title.
In an interview with Matchroom Boxing following the victory, Opetaia made it clear that he's just getting started. Following the win, he stated:
"The best is yet to come... It pumps me up, I've got people working against me. I feel like, it's just part of our journey. We've always had to go against the grain, and we've always had people that don't step in the ring trying to control what we do. But, we keep proving them wrong and doing what we do."
Check out his comments in the video below (1:00):
Jai Opetaia slams Mairis Briedis following knockout win
Jai Opetaia has no interest in facing Mairis Briedis following his win on Saturday.
The 28-year-old boxer was famously stripped of his IBF gold for failing to book a rematch with 'The Latvian Punisher'. In their first bout last July, Opetaia scored an exciting unanimous decision win, the biggest of his career at the time.
Not long following the victory, the two were ordered by the IBF to fight again. Opetaia and Briedis entered talks but failed to reach a deal. As a result, the Australian faced Jordan Thompson in September, winning by knockout.
They were later ordered to fight again by the IBF but failed to reach terms of a deal. Speaking to Matchroom following his knockout win on Saturday, Jai Opetaia was asked about the rematch. There, he stated:
"Briedis is a f****** p******* man. Hey, he's lost my respect. I used to look up to him coming up through my cruiserweight journey... I gave him a touch up once and he never came back. It is what it is."
