Jai Opetaia refuses to abandon unification quest after latest title snub

Australia’s leading boxer Jai Opetaia refuses to give up his mission to become the undisputed cruiserweight king, throwing down the gauntlet to two different international rivals.

Jai Opetaia of Australia poses with his IBF and The Ring Magazine Cruiserweight Title belts. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Jai Opetaia will not abandon his quest to become boxing’s undisputed cruiserweight champion of the world just to unlock a new pool of rivals as a heavyweight.

The International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion’s declaration follows the latest snub from division rival Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (48-1), who will duck a unifying bout with the undefeated Australian for the seventh time.

Ramirez, who holds the WBA and WBO belts, will instead defend his titles against American David Benavidez (31-0) in May – stalling Opetaia (28-0) in his mission to mirror original division unifier Evander Holyfield and secure boxing immortality.

Beating Zurdo would take Opetaia’s collection of major belts to three of the four required for a blockbuster undisputed championship bout with WBC champion Badou Jack of Sweden.

But this latest snub may actually prove the catalyst that reinvigorates the race for unification.

While Zurdo has been accused of running for years, Benavidez is the opposite.

Jai Opetaia. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

“I’m not going to run from anything,” Benavidez told Ring Magazine in September.

“I’m sick of seeing fighters getting the easiest fights, just because they’re getting the biggest pay checks.

“If it’s my destiny to go through these hard fights and win these world titles, that’s what I’m going to do. This is what boxing is about … It’s about giving the fans of boxing the fights they deserve.”

Benavidez dethroning Zurdo would breathe fresh life into Opetaia’s charge by providing what he has missed for years: a cruiserweight opponent willing to put titles on the line.

Ripping those belts from Benavidez, not Zurdo, doesn’t bother Opetaia at all.

“I don’t care about the names of the belt holders. All I care about is the actual belt,” Opetaia told this masthead.

Gilberto Ramirez. Picture: SUPPLIED

“I don’t want these fighters to get a big head, like they’re special – I’m chasing unification, that’s it. Whether Tom, Dick or Harry’s got the belt, I’m chasing them. That’s the purpose of boxing. We’re meant to be fighting for world titles.”

Opetaia said he was confused by Zurdo’s logic in defending his belt against out-of-division rival Benavidez.

David Benavidez poses with his title belts on November 22, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

The American challenger holds the WBC and WBA light heavyweight belts but risks nothing by coming up a weight class to meet Zurdo.

“I don’t know what the f--- these guys are doing. Just fighting each other for the sake of it, really,” Opetaia said.

“I don’t understand what they get out of it but it is what it is. I can’t force them to fight me.

“Whoever wins, I just feel like there’s no escaping it (a unifying bout against Opetaia). What else are they going to do? Whoever wins, what’s the next move? It’s already hard enough trying to duck me as it is.

“Once they win that, then what? They’re going to be taking pay-cuts and make no progress after this fight if they don’t fight me.

“I just feel like this is a fight that they want to do. Let them do it and when the winner wants to have a crack, let them have a crack (at me).

“These guys are getting close. How long can they duck for? It’s coming, man. I know it’s coming.”

Opetaia defends his IBF belt in a hometown bout against German challenger Huseyin Cinkara at Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre on December 6.

Originally published as Jai Opetaia refuses to abandon unification quest after latest title snub