Cruiserweight world champion fights on December 6
Undefeated Australian boxer Jai Opetaia has revealed how he’s been given the cold shoulder by major boxing promoters – and leaped to the defence of Samoan-Australian NRL star Payne Haas.
The owner of the IBF and The Ring cruiserweight titles will make his return to the ring on December 6 in a mandatory defence of his crowns against Hüseyin Cinkara on the Gold Coast.
Opetaia is currently 28-0 in professional fights, but he’s aware of the challenges 40-year-old Cinkara poses.
‘You don’t get to that position by accident. There’s obviously a lot of hard work, and he’s done his job right to get there,’ Opetaia exclusively told the Daily Mail.
The 30-year-old has recently received strong backing from boxing legend Danny Green, who claimed that he doesn’t receive the status he deserves because he isn’t managed by one of Australia’s main promoters.
Opetaia has now revealed how long he’s been dealing with being repeatedly overlooked while other fighters get far more mainstream coverage.
Jai Opetaia (pictured) is one of Australia’s best-ever fighters – but boxing great Danny Green doesn’t think he gets the credit he deserves
Opetaia defeated Italy’s Claudio Squeo (both pictured) in the most recent Ring Magazine and IBF World cruiserweight titles bout in June
The Aussie fighter (pictured) has never been beaten since turning pro at 19 years old
‘To be honest, I’ve been dealing with this stuff my whole life,’ Opetaia said.
‘I’ve always gone against the grain and done things different, and broken records, and never got the publicity.
‘I don’t sit here and pout. I’ve always said that all I gotta do is focus on the job, and the rest will fall into place, which now it seems like it is.’
The undefeated boxer, who boasts Samoan heritage, has also defended Haas after he was slammed for changing his allegiance from Australia to Samoa in international football.
Haas announced he’d take to the field for Samoa in a stunning move ahead of the Pacific Championships tournament last month.
‘No one has walked a day in his shoes,’ Opetaia said.
‘No one knows where he’s from or the way he was raised.
‘I feel like it’s ridiculous people even f**king talk s**t about it.’
Opetaia hails from a family with a strong sporting pedigree as he is related to Socceroos legend Tim Cahill and former NRL star Ben Roberts
The Aussie boxer (pictured in Samoan apparel) is very proud of his Samoan heritage and attended the Pacific Championships match between Samoa and Tonga last month
Payne Haas (pictured) was slammed for his shock defection to Samoa last month after playing four games for Australia
Although Opetaia’s lack of mainstream exposure doesn’t faze him, he revealed he had been in contact with No Limit, the promoter with a monopoly over the best fighters in Australia.
‘I think we’ve had a few discussions, but I’ve been with Tasman Fighters for a long time,’ he said.
‘It was never about leaving Tasman Fighters and going to No Limit (completely). It was more seeing if we could all work together.’
The news comes as Opetaia laid down the gauntlet for influencer-turned-fighter Jake Paul, who famously beat Mike Tyson in a match which broke new ground in terms of viewership late last year.
‘Obviously if he (Jake Paul) f**king offered me some money, 100 per cent (I would fight him). Who wouldn’t bash Jake Paul for a couple mil?’ he told Stan Sport.
Paul and Tyson’s fight attracted 65 million viewers worldwide last November.
But Opetaia’s priority for the moment is overcoming Hüseyin Cinkara and taking another step towards unifying all the belts in the division.
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Australia’s best boxer opens up about the shocking snub he’s been dealing with his ‘whole life’ – and his anger over NRL star’s plight