‘Broke his jaw’: Jai Opetaia stays undefeated with brutal right hook to register 28th straight win

Australia’s Jai Opetaia has continued his undefeated run, dispatching his latest opponent in brutal fashion on Sunday night.

It was early on in fight week when Jai Opetaia told us how, as a child, he would walk around his gym shouting that famed Achilles line from cult fightin’ flick, Troy.

“Is there anyone else?” Opetaia would bellow, grinning as he walked. “Is there anyone else …”

Finally now, he gets to find out.

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Almost three years after famously winning the IBF cruiserweight title with a jaw busted in two places, Opetaia is ready to completely erase the division after brutally finishing Italy’s Claudio Squeo – and, ironically, after almost certainly breaking his jaw.

Coming into the bout as an unbackable $1.01 favourite – and with Squeo as wide as $26 in some markets – Opetaia needed just 36 seconds into the fifth to finish the challenger with a brutal right hook.

You can watch the massive right hook in the player at the top of the page.

As mentioned more than once this week, it was after watching Russell Crowe’s performance in Cinderella Man that Squeo took up boxing, so enamoured was he by the underdog yarn of James J. Braddock.

Yet there was to be no Hollywood upset on this warm Gold Coast night.

Still, you can’t say things didn’t go to script.

After starting the first round cautiously, Opetaia then quickly built into the fight.

There was a moment in controversy in the fourth when Opetaia dropped Squeo with a body shot however referee Robert Hoyle ruled it a low blow.

The crazy moment – which was loudly booed after replays were shown on the big screen – followed the champ opening with a big overhand right and then, once the Italian was given time to recover from the ‘low blow’, went on the attack again.

Opetaia then finished the round attacking Squeo to the body and head.

The challenger, while brave, was quickly running out of answers.

And early in the fifth it was all over.

Pushing his rival into a corner, the champ landed a thudding right hand that saw Squeo pause momentarily before clutching at what is likely a broken jaw and dropping to the canvas.

And it was there he stayed as Hoyle counted him out.

Jai Opetaia retained his world titles on the Gold Coast.

Asked about his effort, Opetaia said: “Man I was just in a rush.

“I really wanted to get him out of there

“I’m chasing unification fights.

“It’s frustrating.”

The Central Coast product that praised the love from Australia and Samoa before calling out the man he has been chasing for some time, Mexican Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez.

While refusing to bad mouth the man holding the division’s WBO and WBA straps, Opetaia simply said it was time for the pair to throw down – or at least if the champ wins his own title defence in 20 days.

“Anyone who thinks they’re the best they’re not the best until they beat me,” he said.

“Anywhere, anytime just pick up the phone.”

All of which completed a wild Australian boxing day that saw Justis Huni suffer a controversial 10-count in his world title loss against Fabio Wardley, while Sam Goodman was announced to face WBA featherweight champ Nick Ball in Saudi Arabia this August.

And then to top it all off, Opetaia went and chalked up another brutal KO – taking his undefeated tear to 28 straight fights.

As revealed by Fox Sports Australia earlier this week, the IBF and Ring champ will now jet to the US in coming day and personally confront Ramirez.

In just 20 days time, the popular Mexican star is set to feature as the co-main in Jake Paul’s latest outing in Los Angeles.

Jai Opetaia (L) of Australia punches Claudio Squeo of Italy during their IBF Cruiserweight Title bout. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX ***

Should Ramirez win, he will be confronted immediately afterwards by Opetaia, with Francis stressing he’s already spoken with broadcasters DAZN about putting his client in the $2000 ringside seats.

While eventually planning for a hyped move to heavyweight, Opetaia first wins to not simply unify the cruiserweight division, but go undisputed in back-to-back blockbusters.

That makes taking on Ramirez and then, in victory, taking the last available strap from WBC champ Badou Jack.

Already, there has been talk of Opetaia-Ramirez taking place in Saudi Arabia this October.

But the Central Coast product his heard his share of false promises.

Which is why he and manager Mick Francis will be jetting to the US to make the fight happen.

Originally published as ‘Broke his jaw’: Jai Opetaia stays undefeated with brutal right hook to register 28th straight win