IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia welcomes a clash against Canelo Alvarez if he’s ready to move up in weight from his division at 168. However, Opetaia feels the 33-year-old Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) would be too small
If the counterpuncher Canelo came up two weight classes to challenge Opetaia for his IBF cruiserweight title, that would be the ultimate challenge for the Mexican star.
Size Advantage for Opetaia
The 6’2″ Opetaia would have a massive size advantage in height and weight over the 5’7 1/2″ Canelo, who has captured world titles in four weight classes and established himself as one of the top fighters.
In an interview, the undefeated Opetaia (25-0, 19 KOs) told Fight Hub TV that His Excellency Turki Alalshikh asked him if he’d like to fight Canelo at 175, but he says he couldn’t come down to that weight class from cruiserweight.
Canelo hasn’t mentioned wanting to fight Opetaia at cruiserweight, but he’s reportedly expressed interest in fighting in that weight class in the past, but he hasn’t done that lately.
A move like that would silence the critics who have been hounding Canelo about fighting David Benavidez, who has been calling him out and refusing to give up in his pursuit of a clash against him.
“The shiek [Turki Alalshikh] actually asked me. last week, he rang me and asked me and said, ‘Would you fight Canelo?’ He said 175 lbs, and I wouldn’t be able to make anything lower than cruiser.”
Financial Incentive and Physical Challenge
If Opetaia were eager to earn the big money that he would likely make against Canelo, he should find a way to cut weight to get down to 175 because there’s always a way if a fighter wants it badly enough.
Of course, whether Opetaia would be physically able to win after draining down to 175 for a fight against Canelo Alvarez is another thing. It would be an interesting physical test to see what Opetaia could endure facing the biggest star in the sport.
According to Forbes, Canelo was the highest-paid boxer in the sport in 2024, earning $85 million. With that kind of bankroll, it’s understandable why all the top fighters, like Opetaia, are interested in fighting him.
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