Jai Opetaia has indicated that Turki Alalshikh is working behind the scenes to line up a cruiserweight unification fight with the winner of the upcoming showdown between WBA titlist Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez and WBO belt-holder Chris Billam-Smith.
Opetaia, the IBF boss, had been chasing a unification with Billam-Smith ever since regaining his title with a victory over Mairis Briedis in May (Opetaia had been stripped of his belt after defending it against Elis Zorro, against the IBF’s wishes).
Billam-Smith, however, chose to unify his title against WBA belt holder Ramirez in November instead. This has now left Opetaia to defend his belt against European champion Jack Massey on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev-Dimtry Bivol on October 12.
Opetaia insists that his focus is now firmly on Massey after the Billam-Smith fight fell through and that he holds nothing against the Englishman for taking another route.
“Man, we’re busy, we’re staying busy,” Opetaia told BoxingScene. “It’s still a good fight. Obviously, we were chasing that unification fight, but it is what it is. I’m not taking Jack Massey lightly at all, you know, I’m expecting a real hard fight, so it should be good.
“I’ve got nothing against Chris Billam-Smith, I think he’s a good dude, he’s a good champion. He always holds himself well. He never trash talks. I’m not chasing Chris Billam-Smith as an individual. I’m chasing the belt. So, that’s just how boxing works. I’m chasing unification fights, and he’s got a belt, so let’s get it on.
“I feel like [Ramirez] is a hard fight,” he continued. “But you know he always proves people wrong. I know he’s got a lot of heart. He’s got that will to win. You know it’s hard to beat someone that doesn’t want to lose. You know he’s always got something to prove. I think it’s a great fight.”
Billam-Smith will take on Ramirez on November 16 as the main event on a Riyadh Season card promoted by Alalshikh. Opetaia has revealed that conversations have started with the Riyadh Season boss to make a three-belt unification fight between himself and the winner.
“We actually had a meeting yesterday [with Turki Alalshikh] after the press conference,” Opetaia said. “We had a sitdown and that fight is the smartest thing to do. We want to fight the winner of Ramirez and Chris Billam-Smith and then we want to collect the rest of the belts. So it’s all doable, we just need these guys to accept the fight.”
Read the full article here
