I am after these unions. I went after the Zurdo fight and it still hasn’t come. I don’t know why. That’s bullshit. The best should fight the best. It doesn’t make sense to me why he’s not next in line.
Jai Opetaia recently defeated David Nyika in Broadbeach. (Photo: imago-images / AAP)
The next opponent for IBF cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetaia has been announced: On May 13, the unbeaten Australian (27-0, 21 knockouts) will face the equally unbeaten Italian Claudio Squeo (17-0, 9 knockouts) in Broadbeach, Australia. It will be the third title defense in his second reign as IBF World Champion. The event at the Gold Coast Convention Center will be streamed live on DAZN.
For Opetaia , who recently defeated David Nyika, it is the second fight in a row at this venue. Nevertheless, the 28-year-old is unhappy with his choice of opponent. In a DAZN interview, he openly criticized the fact that a planned unification fight against WBA/WBO champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez did not materialize: “I want to box against the best. This doesn’t make sense to me. It looks to me like someone is ducking out.”
Claudio Squeo, on the other hand, will be fighting on the big stage for the first time at the age of 34. The Italian has so far fought exclusively in his home country, where he has moved up to 14th place in the IBF world rankings by winning the IBF Latin and IBF European titles. However, his career to date has been characterized by duels against unknown opponents.
