Justis Huni signs deal to fight Mairis Briedis as he moves closer to maiden world-title shot
Australia’s heavyweight kingpin Justis Huni believes he is good enough to win a world title, and he’ll have a chance to prove it when he faces a former IBF world champion.
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Justis Huni will continue his march towards a maiden world-title shot after clinching a $1 million blockbuster bout with Mairis Briedis — the Latvian “beast” who famously broke Jai Opetaia’s jaw in their Gold Coast bloodbath.
News Corp can reveal former IBF cruiserweight world champion Briedis has agreed terms to return Down Under, stepping up to heavyweight to face Huni in the biggest fight of the Australian young gun’s career.
The duo will square off at Brisbane’s Nissan Arena on Saturday, March 4 in a showdown that could propel Huni into the top 10 world rankings and put him in the frame for a maiden world-title bout.
And the heavyweight battle features a fascinating contract clause.
Should Briedis win at Nissan Arena, the 37-year-old will secure a re-match with Huni’s stablemate Opetaia, who snatched the Latvian legend’s IBF belt in July to become Australia’s only current male world champion.
In one of the fights of the year, Briedis broke Opetaia’s jaw in two places, but the tough-as-nails Australian bravely hung on to clinch an epic unanimous points decision.
Briedis (28-2, 20KO) is so desperate for revenge he will move up to heavyweight to take on Huni (6-0, 4KO), who is chasing a world ranking and can seal one by handing the Latvian back-to-back defeats on Australian soil.
“Briedis is coming back to Australia — we have an agreement on the date and price,” Huni and Opetaia’s promoter Dean Lonergan told News Corp.
“Mairis is a beast of a man and he is ready to step up to heavyweight to fight Justis.
“There is huge incentive for Mairis to take this fight.
“We have done a deal that if Briedis can beat Justis, he will earn a re-match against Jai.
“A world-title rematch between Briedis and Opetaia would be a cracker given what happened in their first fight, but he has to get past Justis first.”
Lonergan believes a Huni victory over Briedis would send the 23-year-old soaring up the world rankings.
Lonergan, the man who helped Jeff Horn become a world champion with his famous upset of Manny Pacquiao at Suncorp Stadium in 2017, hopes to have the Brisbane-born Huni fighting for a world title by the end of next year.
“Briedis is a massive test for Justis,” he said. “I believe Justis will be too big, too strong and too fast, but Briedis will bring a significant world ranking and if Justis wins, he will surge up the rankings.
“Justis could end up in the world top 10 and once that happens, he becomes a contender for a world title.”
Huni has returned home after a five-week camp in America working with Pacquiao’s former conditioning coach Justin Fortune.
The 110kg sensation insists he is developing more punching power and says overcoming Briedis would be a major stepping stone in his quest to become heavyweight champion of the world.
“Briedis is a tough opponent for me,” he said.
“I am not scared to jump in the ring with anyone. I have total confidence in my ability and if the opportunity to fight Briedis is there, I will take it.
“I believe in myself and I believe I will go all the way and win a world title in the next year or two.
“I have the talent to win a world title and that’s why I am doing all this travel and backing myself to beat anyone in the heavyweights.”
‘NIGHT OF PAIN’: HUNI’S BRUTAL HEAVYWEIGHT WARNING FOR TSZYU
Australia’s heavyweight golden boy Justis Huni has warned Tim Tszyu would cop a big-punching reality check if the son of Kostya tried to dominate in the Land of the Giants.
Tszyu made an extraordinary claim as he prepares for his world-title fight with American sensation Jermell Charlo, outlining his longer-term goal to one day become heavyweight champion of the world.
Tszyu currently fights at the super welterweight limit of 69.85kg. The heavyweight division (90.89kg) is three weight classes above him, meaning Tszyu would have to put on more than 44 pounds (20kg) to take on 100kg-plus champions Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk.
No super welterweight in history has jumped to the heavyweights and conquered the world.
Huni touched down in Australia on Friday after a five-week stint in Los Angeles working with Justin Fortune, the former conditioner to Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao.
The unbeaten Huni (6-0, 4KO) returns to the ring against Kiwi Kiki Leutele (8-1-2, 7KO) at Brisbane’s Nissan Arena on Friday week and he said world-title challenge Tszyu would get a rude shock trading blows with the big boppers.
“Anything is possible I guess, but it would be a shock for Tim in the heavyweights,” Huni said.
“If Tim thinks he can be a heavyweight champion, good luck to him.
“I will always encourage other Aussie boxers who are trying to make their way to the top, but it would be a big ask for Tim to come up to heavyweight.
“The big shock for him would be the size difference.
“He would have to put on a lot of weight and the power at this level is massive.”
Huni’s promoter Dean Lonergan said Tszyu’s claims are “ludicrous”.
“I would love to see Tim fight Justis,” Lonergan said. “He would be in for a night of pain.”
Tszyu has won 21 consecutive fights, 15 by knockouts, and is so confident he believes he can hurt the hulking Joshua with the savage body shots that have catapulted him into world-title bout with Charlo.
But Huni says Tszyu, who stands just 174cm, would be monstered by true heavyweights.
“Look at the top heavyweights now, we’re talking guys who are six foot seven, six eight, they are big, tall dudes,” he said.
“I am an average-sized heavyweight (at six foot three and 110kg).
“Sometimes it can work in your favour being a bit smaller, but you don’t want to be too small.
“It would take a fair while for Tim to gain that much weight and then carry it for a 10-to-12 round fight.
“He isn’t used to carrying that much weight, whereas I am comfortable at heavyweight and I have fought at this weight many times.”
Huni towelled up Joe Goodall in his most recent fight in June and says his American camp has made him more dangerous.
“It was great, it was a very successful camp,” he said.
“It was great to get to know Justin Fortune and I learnt some little tips and tricks to take me to another level.
“You get some top quality heavyweights in the states. If one guy pulls out, you know you have plenty of back up to jump in and spar.
“There is always room for improvement. I will never think I am the perfect boxer.
“There is always something new to learn and I’ve come back home a better fighter.”
GOODDALL HAS “DADDY” ISSUES
Meanwhile, Huni’s most recent victim, Goodall, will continue his fightback when he takes on former world champion Lucas ‘Big Daddy’ Browne.
Goodall (9-1-1, 8KO) stopped Arsene Fosso last month on the undercard of the Paul Gallen double header against Justin Hodges and Ben Hannant and ‘Big Bad Joe’ now has his sights set on Browne.
The big-punching Browne (31-3, 27KO) stunned the boxing world with his savage first-round knockout of Junior Fa in June and shapes as a dangerous opponent for Goodall, who is chasing a re-match with Huni.
Goodall and Browne agreed terms on Friday and will square off on Saturday, December 10 at The Fortitude Music Hall in Brisbane.
TSZYU MOCKS RIVAL’S ‘KANYE’ CATWALK ROUTINE
Jamie Pandaram
Tim Tszyu has mocked rival Jermell Charlo’s appearance at Paris Fashion Week, saying the American undisputed super-welterweight champion will pay the price when the pair clash for the four belts in 100 days’ time in Las Vegas.
Charlo was an official guest the Balenciaga party in the French capital earlier this month, rubbing shoulders with international superstars Kanye West, the Kardashians, Salma Hayek, Naomi Campbell, Janet Jackson, Emily Ratajkowski and Doja Cat.
At the same time, Tszyu was in a training camp in Thailand sweating it up in the humidity of Phuket alongside UFC stars Petr Yan and Darren Till.
“One guy is attending fashion shows, the other guy is grinding and running up f---ing mountains,” Tszyu told News Corp.
“My diet is on point, everything is on point, I am in a different head space to what I was in any other fight.
“I can’t wait to meet him in the ring. Stuff his entourage and all that bullshit that happens before, I can’t wait until I’m right in front of him in the squared ring and that’s when it all matters.
At the same time, Tszyu was in a training camp in Thailand sweating it up in the humidity of Phuket alongside UFC stars Petr Yan and Darren Till.
“One guy is attending fashion shows, the other guy is grinding and running up f---ing mountains,” Tszyu told News Corp.
“My diet is on point, everything is on point, I am in a different head space to what I was in any other fight.
“I can’t wait to meet him in the ring. Stuff his entourage and all that bullshit that happens before, I can’t wait until I’m right in front of him in the squared ring and that’s when it all matters.
“Watch what I do to you. I’m coming for his head.”
Tszyu challenges Charlo for the undisputed championship on January 28 (January 29 AEST) – the 28-year anniversary of his father Kostya Tszyu’s first world title victory against Jake Rodriquez, also in Las Vegas.
“I’ve got to enjoy the last 100 days of being a non-world champion,” Tszyu said.
“I feel like Charlo thinks it’s going to be a walk in the park, and that’s what I love, because I know for a fact those titles are coming back home with me.
“He’s in a world of trouble.
“I’m not intimidated, I’m coming in to fight. I’m in this mindset now that this is my time, it’s a new era of boxing and I’m the one that’s going to top it off.
“So stuff him, I don’t like him anyway. I don’t like his arrogance, his cockiness, the way he is, I can’t even understand what he’s saying.
“He’s the typical flashy, made it type guy in America. We’re different people, different mindset.”
Charlo (37-1-1) retained his WBC, IBF and WBA titles, and claimed the WBO belt by knocking out Brian Castano with a vicious right hand in May.
“I’ll smack him with the right hand and see how he feels,” said Tszyu (21-0, 15KO).
“People think I’m just a walk forward type fighter, but I set traps, my boxing IQ is very, very high.
“I’m not worrying about nothing he’s doing, he’s got to worry about what I’m going to do.
“He just won’t see stuff coming.
“The size advantage, he will see and he will feel. He will feel the power difference.
“This fight will bring the best out of me, right now I feel as good as I’ve felt since Jeff Horn. Even in the mind, just this pumped, this excited.
“Now I’ve got this different energy, I feel this strength and this power in me, like I could pick up this car and throw it to the other side of the street.”
Australia will barely see Tszyu before the monster showdown. He will have another gruelling training camp in Thailand, return briefly, then head to Los Angeles in late November, before basing himself in a house on the outskirts of the Las Vegas strip for the five weeks before the fight.
“I just don’t need distractions, I’m coming in as Tim Tszyu the fighter right now, that’s how I’m going to be until the end of the fight,” he said.
“I flipped the switch six weeks ago, and it’s been business from then on.
“This is the Super Bowl, this is the clutch shot of the NBA finals, this is it, doesn’t get any bigger.
“It’s never crossed my mind [that I will lose], for me it’s like, ‘I’m winning these four world titles and my life is going to change’.
“I’ve got myself a diary and I’m recording what I’m doing each day, I just want to be able to read back in the future and see what I went through.”
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