World champion Jai Opetaia’s one criticism of the Paul Gallen-Sonny Bill Williams super-fight
It’s the Australian boxing showdown a decade in the making – but Paul Gallen’s battle with Sonny Bill Williams doesn’t excite everyone, including world champion Jai Opetaia.
Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
As Australia’s pound-for-pound best boxer and the country’s only reigning male world champion, Jai Opetaia has every right to be annoyed at the multimillion dollar heavyweight super-fight between Paul Gallen and Sonny Bill Williams.
Opetaia flies under the radar, toiled away in relative anonymity for half a decade, and only started making decent money in the last couple of years.
But the 28-year-old IBF cruiserweight world champion only has one criticism of the eight, two-minute round showdown between Gallen and Williams.
“You can quote me on this in the paper – and it’s not an attack, I’m taking the piss – but two minute rounds is soft, bro,” Opetaia laughs.
“Two minute rounds? Come on. That’s my only thing.
“You want to put on a big time main event, well, boxing is three minute rounds.”
Because two-minute rounds is only for women’s boxing, right?
“I didn’t say that, those are your words!” he tells Code Sports. “I’m not bad-mouthing them, but I dunno about the two-minute rounds, bro, come on.”
Before he became world champion, Opetaia scraped and scrapped his way to the top of the boxing world.
He’d have to pay for his opponents, and fork out money to appear on fight cards around the country.
He sometimes lived week-to-week, waiting for money from a sponsor, or getting by on the paycheck of his partner Kanesha.
But rather than bag the Gallen-SBW fight as a money-grab, Opetaia – who defends his IBF world title against Claudio Squeo (17-0) on June 8 on the Gold Coast – has a more measured outlook.
“It builds up the sport of boxing,” he says. “Whether they fight or not, it doesn’t affect my own career.
“Me sitting here, throwing hate at them, what does that do? They’re not taking money out of my pocket.
“Unfortunately, it sells tickets, people want to see it, and you know what, if I’m being completely honest, so do I.”
Opetaia also has skin in the game.
Gallen used to train with Opetaia’s dad, Tapu, on the Central Coast many years ago, and the former Sharks and New South Wales captain even sparred Opetaia before his 2022 world title win over Mairis Briedis.
Gallen also helped Opetaia in the early stages of his career.
“When I first turned professional, I was on about five Gallen undercards,” he says. “Without him fighting and putting those Fox shows on at the time, guys like me and Tim Tszyu – guys who were coming up through the rankings – they actually helped us out at the start.
“I’ve got no clue what the plans are for the undercard, but I hope there’s some young boxers coming up on it.
“But at the end of the day, if anyone has a problem with it, don’t watch it.”
Whether it’s a money-making gimmick or a legitimate heavyweight clash, the Gallen-SBW saga has close parallels with one of Opetaia’s prospective future opponents.
Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez holds the WBA and WBO cruiserweight world titles, and Opetaia has had a bullseye on him all year.
Ramirez is scheduled to defend the belts against Yuniel Dorticos in June on the undercard to former YouTube star Jake Paul’s fight with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in Anaheim.
If Ramirez beats Dorticos, his promoter, Oscar de la Hoya, hinted last week that he could even fight Paul later in the year.
It would be a major setback for Opetaia, but even then, he can’t criticise Ramirez for the payday.
“It’s a massive paycheck for him. I don’t even know what number it would be, but I can’t imagine it would be anything less than $2.5 million,” he says. “Who’s gonna turn that down?
“That would change your family’s life, so I can’t even bag him for that.
“But, whoever wins that fight (Ramirez vs Paul) if it happens, surely I’ve done enough to earn a unification. Surely!
“But then again, boxing’s a funny sport. You’ve got YouTubers fighting world champions.”
Which begs the question: Would Opetaia ever take a fight with Jake Paul?
“I’d fight Jake Paul for the bag – I’ll fight him to get paid,” he says. “He’ll do nothing for my life or my career to move forward, but he will get me paid.
“Anyone that turns down that fight, for that kind of money, is an idiot.
“You can’t say no to that kind of money, so obviously I’d fight him, but the class difference…f***in’ please!”
Opetaia has long been tipped for a move to heavyweight once he unifies at cruiserweight, but he doesn’t see himself ever calling out the winner of Gallen-SBW.
“I don’t even think that’s a possibility,” he says. “I think my answer to that is irrelevant, because that’s just imagination.”
Indeed, Opetaia has much greater goals than taking on a washed-up former footy star.
“I’m chasing these unification bouts, and it’ll be good to get at least one of them before going up to heavyweight,” he says. “I’m chasing greatness.
“I want to be like Oleksandr Usyk, Artur Beterbiev or Dmitri Bivol – undisputed world champions – that’s something no one can take away from them.
“If I do that, the money will come anyway, and I truly believe I can achieve these things.”
Originally published as World champion Jai Opetaia’s one criticism of the Paul Gallen-Sonny Bill Williams super-fight
Port’s bread and Butters: Why the Power can’t afford to lose Zak
A club hero has declared why Zak Butters should become Port Adelaide’s first $2 million man, writes Andrew Capel. Vote in the poll.
‘Exciting’ Sheffield Shield hero signs for Strikers
It’s a BBL recruiting coup for the Adelaide T20 side, writes Andrew Capel.