Huseyin Cinkara lands in Australia and announces his intention to “tear Opetaia apart”. The IBF mandatory challenger wants to silence all doubters – and Opetaia’s visions at the same time.
Huseyin Cinkara makes no effort to present himself as a polite guest in Australia. As soon as he landed, the unbeaten Duisburg native declared unequivocally that he wanted to “destroy” Jai Opetaia on December 6. The IBF mandatory challenger will take on the local hero at the Gold Coast Convention Center. Opetaia, currently the measure of all things cruiserweight, recently had big ambitions: Title unification in 2026, then a move up to heavyweight. But after “Zurdo” Ramirez’s decision to fight David Benavidez instead, Cinkara of all people could become the wrecking ball in his career plans.
The 40-year-old was already scheduled as an opponent in January, but dropped out due to injury. Eleven months later, he is convinced that this delay has worked to his advantage. Unlike David Nyika – who was stopped prematurely in the spring after a wild exchange of blows – Cinkara wants the fight to be less emotional and more focused. “Respect is nice – but it doesn’t win titles,” rumbled Cinkara. “I punch harder, I punch faster. Anyone who thinks I’m just the next name on their list will wake up.” From his point of view, Opetaia is not untouchable: “You see things if you study long enough. Weak points. Flaws. I will use them.”
Opetaia himself remains publicly focused on his long-term goal of becoming the undisputed world champion. However, Fightweek brings additional uncertainty: Australian Justis Huni, who is seeded for the co-main event, is worried about his start following the unexpected death of his trainer. A replacement fight in the super middleweight division is being prepared.
Text by Robin Josten