Fighter of the Week (12/18-24): Jai Opetaia
As the year draws near an end we are usually not loaded with fight cards. However, that was not the case at all in 2023. Christmas Weekend gave us one of the year's best and most talented loaded cards. It featured a major upset, and possible Knockout of the Year as Jai Opetaia, the 6'2 Southpaw from New South Wales, Australia, scored another quick and memorable knockout of an undefeated opponent in less than three months. The southpaw moved to 24-0 (19) and picked up what appears to be the KO of the year, a single wide, sweeping left hand at the end of the opening round put Ellis Zorro down and out in unforgettable fashion. Opetaia picked up his second win of the year and took home our Fighter of the Week award.
It will likely take you longer to read this week's Fighter of the Week article than it took Opetaia to finish off Zorro. The former cruiserweight belt holder was forced to vacate his belt before the 12/23 fight against Zorro. After a bit of a feeling-out process over the opening few moments of the fight. Opetaia started to press more and throw in combination. The pressure began backing Zorro up. However, there wasn't a ton of action, and the round seemed more like a getting-to-know-you round until the Australian scored a mammoth left hand to the side of Zorro's jaw with a few seconds left in the opening stanza. There was no chance Zorro was going to beat the count and continue, and the official stoppage came at 2:56 of round one of a scheduled 12-round non-title fight.
Opetaia was largely unknown just a year and a half ago. Now he has a legitimate pound-for-pound claim, and if there was Fighter of the Year voting, he should be in the top five. His last three opponents have a combined 60-1(39) record, and Opetaia has gone 3-0 (2) and dominated nearly every minute of that run. His options are beginning to grow. The obvious choice would be if Usyk beats Fury, he fights the former undisputed cruiserweight champ and current undisputed heavyweight champ Oleksandr Usyk, should that play out. If that doesn't play out. WBO champ Chris Billiam-Smith, and WBC champ Badou Jack will ach be interesting options in their own right if Opetaia is looking to pick up another cruiserweight strap.
