Jai Opetaia

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Jai Opetaia
Statistics
Weight(s)Cruiserweight
Height6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Reach76 in (193 cm)
NationalityAustralian
Born (1995-06-30) 30 June 1995 (age 26)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
StanceSouthpaw
Boxing record[1]
Total fights20
Wins20
Wins by KO16
Losses0
Medal record
Men's amateur boxing
Representing  Australia
World Youth Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Yerevan Heavyweight

Jai Opetaia (born 30 June 1995) is an Australian professional boxer who has held the WBA Oceania cruiserweight title since 2019. As an amateur he won a bronze medal at the 2012 Youth World Championships and represented Australia at the 2012 Olympics and 2014 Commonwealth Games.[2]

Personal life[]

He is related to Australian football player Tim Cahill and rugby league player Ben Roberts of Parramatta Eels.[3]

Amateur career[]

In Opetaia's amateur career, he won the Light Heavyweight title at the 2011 Junior World Championships then qualified for the 2012 Olympics as a Heavyweight at the age of 16, making him the youngest ever Australian Olympic boxer.[4]

Opetaia won the Junior World title in Kazakhstan in July 2011.[5]

At the Olympic qualifier in Canberra 2012 he had a tough final against New Zealander David Light but prevailed 15:10.[6]

In 2012, Opetaia got the bronze medal at the AIBA World Youth Championships in the heavyweight division. Later that year, Opetaia competed at the 2012 Olympics, however did not pass the first round of the tournament.

Professional career[]

Opetaia was scheduled to face Daniel Ammann for the vacant WBC-OPBF and Australian cruiserweight titles on July 15, 2017.[7] He won the fight by a ninth-round technical knockout.[8] Opetaia was next scheduled to face Frankie Lopez for the vacant IBF Youth cruiserweight title on October 21, 2017.[9] He won the fight by a first-round technical knockout.[10]

Opetaia made his first Australian Cruiserweight title defense against Benjamin Kelleher on January 17, 2018. He won the fight by a third-round technical knockout.[11] Opetaia fought for yet another regional title on April 7, 2018, when he was set to face Lukas Paszkowsky for the vacant WBO Asia-Pacific cruiserweight title. He won the fight by a second-round technical knockout.[12] Opetaia made his first WBO Asia-Pacific cruiserweight title defense against Kurtis Pegoraro on June 29, 2018. The fight was simultaneously a fight for the vacant IBF Pan-Pacific cruiserweight title. He won the fight by a second-round knockout.[13]

Opetaia fought Navosa Ioata for the vacant WBA Oceania interim cruiserweight title on May 15, 2019, and won the fight by an eight-round technical knockout.[14] Opetaia made his first title defense two months later, on July 27, 2019, against Nikolas Charalampous, while also fighting for the vacant WBO Global cruiserweight title. He won the fight by unanimous decision.[15] Opetaia made the first defense of these two titles, and fought for the inaugural IBF Asia-Oceania cruiserweight title, against Mark Flanagan on November 16, 2019.[16] He won the fight by an eight-round technical knockout.[17]

Opetaia was scheduled to defend his IBF Asia-Oceania and WBO Global cruiserweight titles in a rematch with Benjamin Kelleher on October 22, 2020.[18] He won the fight by a sixth-round technical knockout.[19]

Professional boxing record[]

Professional record summary
20 fights 20 wins 0 losses
By knockout 16 0
By decision 4 0
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
20 Win 20–0 Australia Benjamin Kelleher TKO 6 (10), 1:50 22 Oct 2020 Australia Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane, Australia Retained IBF Asia-Oceania and WBO Global cruiserweight titles
19 Win 19–0 Australia Mark Flanagan TKO 8 (10), 3:00 16 Nov 2019 Australia Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, Australia Retained WBA Oceania and WBO Global cruiserweight titles;
Won inaugural IBF Asia-Oceania cruiserweight title
18 Win 18–0 New Zealand Nikolas Charalampous UD 10 27 Jul 2019 Australia Luna Park, Sydney, Australia Retained WBA Oceania interim cruiserweight title;
Won vacant WBO Global cruiserweight title
17 Win 17–0 Australia Navosa Ioata TKO 8 (10), 1:13 15 May 2019 Australia The Star, Sydney, Australia Won vacant WBA Oceania interim cruiserweight title
16 Win 16–0 Australia Kurtis Pegoraro KO 2 (10), 1:25 29 Jun 2018 Australia Pullman King George Square, Brisbane, Australia Retained WBO Asia-Pacific cruiserweight title;
Won vacant IBF Pan-Pacific cruiserweight title
15 Win 15–0 Germany TKO 2 (10), 2:35 7 Apr 2018 Australia Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane, Australia Won vacant WBO Asia-Pacific cruiserweight title
14 Win 14–0 Australia Benjamin Kelleher TKO 3 (10), 2:36 17 Jan 2018 Australia The Star, Sydney, Australia Retained Australian cruiserweight title
13 Win 13–0 United States Frankie Lopez TKO 1 (10), 2:55 21 Oct 2017 Australia Function Centre, Melbourne, Australia Won vacant IBF Youth cruiserweight title
12 Win 12–0 Australia Daniel Ammann TKO 9 (10), 1:49 15 Jul 2017 Australia Wests City Club, Newcastle, Australia Won vacant WBC-OPBF and Australian cruiserweight titles
11 Win 11–0 Australia Moses Havea TKO 2 (8), 1:03 12 May 2017 Australia North Sydney Leagues Club, Sydney, Australia Retained ANBF New South Wales heavyweight title
10 Win 10–0 Australia Kyle Brumby TKO 2 (8), 1:26 8 Apr 2017 Australia Doltone House, Sydney, Australia
9 Win 9–0 Samoa Togasilimai Letoa TKO 2 (4), 0:30 10 Feb 2017 Samoa Faleata Sporting Complex, Apia, Samoa
8 Win 8–0 New Zealand Isileli Fa TKO 3 (6), 0:36 23 Dec 2016 Australia Southern Cross Group Stadium, Sydney, Australia
7 Win 7–0 Australia Peter Brennan KO 1 (8), 2:46 9 Dec 2016 Australia Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, Australia Won vacant ANBF New South Wales heavyweight title
6 Win 6–0 Australia Uria Afamasaga TKO 2 (4), 0:37 14 Oct 2016 Australia The Silverdome, Launceston, Australia
5 Win 5–0 New Zealand Sefo Falekaono KO 6 (6), 1:11 22 Jul 2016 Australia Mediterranean House, Sydney, Australia
4 Win 4–0 Mexico Orlando Vazquez PTS 4 23 Apr 2016 Mexico Centro de Usos Múltiples, Los Mochis, Mexico
3 Win 3–0 Australia Randall Rayment UD 6 28 Nov 2015 Australia Mansfield Tavern, Brisbane, Australia
2 Win 2–0 New Zealand Rob Manual TKO 1 (4), 2:46 14 Aug 2015 Australia The Pavilion, Melbourne, Australia
1 Win 1–0 New Zealand Isileli Fa UD 4 1 Aug 2015 New Zealand Stadium Southland, Invercargill, New Zealand

References[]

  1. ^ "Boxing record for Jai Opetaia". BoxRec.
  2. ^ "Jai Opetaia – Amateur career". boxrec.com. Retrieved 26 May 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 April 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ [1] Article
  5. ^ Results
  6. ^ Results
  7. ^ Parris, Michael. "Doberman takes new bite at national title". newcastleherald.com.au. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  8. ^ "Jai Scores TKO Victory". triplem.com.au. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  9. ^ Raspanti, John J. "Boxing prodigy Jai Opetaia looking to turn heads against Frankie Lopez". maxboxing.com. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  10. ^ Ellis, Brock. "Jai Opetaia recaps swift professional rise, signature 2017 campaign". aus-boxing.com. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  11. ^ AAP. "Jai Opetaia keeps unbeaten boxing record". sbs.com.au. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  12. ^ Rizzuto, Dom. "Opetaia's rise continues". rabbitohs.com.au. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  13. ^ Cocks, Anthony. "Jai Opertaia destroys Kurtis Pegoraro in two on the ingugural FUTR card". maxboxing.com. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  14. ^ "NEWS: Jai Opetaia takes the win against Navosa Ioata". jolsboxing.home.blog. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  15. ^ Cocks, Anthony. "Rising crusierweight Jai Opetaia dominates Nikolas Charalampous for 18th consecutive victory, Daniel Lewis claims Aussie crown in third bout". maxboxing.com. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  16. ^ Helmers, Caden. "Jai Opetaia set to face Mark Flanagan in National Boxing Series launch". canberratimes.com.au. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  17. ^ Helmers, Caden. "Jai Opetaia makes his mark on a night to remember against Mark Flanagan". canberratimes.com.au. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  18. ^ Bradford, Brendan. "Jai Opetaia looking to continue path to world title against Ben Kelleher". sportingnews.com. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  19. ^ FNA Staff. "Boxing: Opetaia vs Kelleher II Results". fightnewsaustralia.com. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
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