Jai Opetaia’s messy week signals trouble ahead in boxing war he didn’t sign up for
· Yahoo Sports
It was always going to be a messy end to the fighting week for Jai Opetaia, his bosses at Zuffa Boxing, and the IBF.
After weeks, days and hours of negotiations, claims, inventions, threats and payments, Opetaia entered the ring on Sunday night without the blessing of the IBF and without the title he won back in 2022.
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Opetaia beat Brandon Glanton on points over the championship distance of 12 rounds and won the inaugural Zuffa cruiserweight championship, also leaving the venue with the Ring magazine’s belt. Opetaia, who is arguably the best cruiserweight in the world, has become the latest player in the battle for control of boxing’s heart, mind and bankroll.
Jai Opetaia after winning the inaugural Zuffa Boxing title (Zuffa Boxing)The Glanton fight was sanctioned at one point by the IBF. Their administrator was seemingly flown to Las Vegas but left before the bout. The IBF is also said to have received a fee of $80,000 for its role as the sanctioning body; that figure is now at the centre of the ongoing storm. It is all part of a fight for control of global boxing. The Independent has approached the IBF for comment.
Dana White, once the hard-nosed pioneer behind the UFC’s rise and now the driving force behind Zuffa, has often spoken of ending the reign of the four recognised sanctioning bodies. At shows he has promoted so far, he has refused seats to officials from the WBO, WBC, WBA and IBF. He launched the Zuffa belt as an alternative to the other belts; Opetaia is the first Zuffa champion.
The fight against Glanton was not a classic; both were deducted points for infringements in the foul-filled brawl and Opetaia arguably won every round. The harsh reality is that Opetaia, who is unbeaten at 30-0 (23 KOs), has not met a man from the top 15 cruiserweights during the last two or three years. Still, he does have the glittering Ring belt and the Toys-R-Us Zuffa belt to now hang on the wall at his home on the Gold Coast.
There is still some confusion about Opetaia’s future as the IBF champion; the American-based sanctioning body technically never stripped him; they just refused to sanction the fight. They claim their belt was not displayed prominently enough during the fight-week activities. It is “childish” stuff, as Opetaia’s manager Mick Francis told Fight Hub TV. “How old are we? Are we kids in the schoolyard? Are we gonna tell the teacher?” he asked.
Opetaia (right) during his easy points win over Brandon Glanton (Zuffa Boxing)Opetaia has spoken about becoming the undisputed champion at his weight and then maybe transitioning to heavyweight, which is exactly what Oleksandr Usyk did. That dream is on hold while the men behind the scenes squabble like children over fees, respect and credibility.
White’s assault on boxing is most definitely not covert; he signed Conor Benn from Matchroom and has vowed to crush the biggest promotional names in boxing. He has powerful allies and vast financial backing. Meanwhile, the biggest players in the business have reminded White about the chaos at the UFC, including the successful anti-trust settlement of $375m against the mixed martial arts giant. It is not pretty reading.
On Sunday night in Las Vegas, one of the best fighters in the world right now found himself in the middle of a war he never signed up for. The IBF acted foolishly, the people at Zuffa acted tough, and boxing lost one belt and gained another. There will be trouble ahead.