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The star fighter who could follow Oleksandr Usyk's blueprint from cruiserweight to heavyweight
Oleksandr Usyk will look to be crowned a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion of the world Saturday night when he clashes with Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in London, live and exclusive on DAZN PPV.
This is after Usyk already reigned supreme as the undisputed ruler at cruiserweight.
- Read next | Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois 2: Date, start time, TV channel, live stream, prediction and analysis
Currently, the cruiserweight division touts a champion who could follow Usyk’s blueprint from cruiserweight to heavyweight — IBF titleholder Jai Opetaia.
The Australian boxer, like Usyk, is a southpaw with power in both hands and deft footwork which allows him to bounce in and out of the pocket, while picking his spots with precision.
Opetaia’s shot selection is potent and savvy, knowing when to throw the right punch at the right time.
The undefeated Opetaia (28-0, 22 KOs) seems to be on a collision course with unified WBA and WBO cruiserweight world champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez. A win over the Mexican would have Opetaia in possession of three of the four titles in the division with just Badou Jack’s WBC strap keeping him from reigning as undisputed.
If all goes well there, Opetaia would jump at the chance to vie for the undisputed heavyweight crown, especially if it is against Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs), to test his boxing skills against perhaps the best ring operator that the sport touts today.
“That’s the goal. I’d love to do that,” Opetaia told DAZN News last month about possibly clashing with Usyk. “We’ve just got to get these unification fights out of the way.
“It’s definitely something we’re trying to move forward to.”
When Usyk first moved up to heavyweight, he crushed Chazz Witherspoon, before defeating British heavyweights such as Derek Chisora, Anthony Joshua twice and Daniel Dubois.
All that was left was clashing with Tyson Fury for the right to claim undisputed glory.
At the time, Fury did whatever he could to downplay the challenge Usyk presented, dismissing his smaller size moving up from cruiserweight to heavyweight, breaking out into singing “run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run,” and warning that the Ukrainian was about to get “smashed to pieces.”
The 'Gypsy King' vowed his fate would be different from his British counterparts, pointing to his larger size and sweet science skills as vehicles to knock Usyk “out cold” as extra comments during their press conference.
Then came the actual fight in May 2024 when Usyk nearly stopped Fury with an electric left hand during the ninth round that put the British fighter on jelly legs, stumbling around the ring.
By the end of the thrilling fight, judges ruled it in a split decision in favor of Usyk, making the Ukrainian the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and a two-weight undisputed crown holder after already running through the cruiserweight division.
Seven months later, their rematch was closely-contested once again, though Usyk’s boxing skills paved the way for a unanimous decision to Fury’s chagrin.
As Usyk looks this weekend to defeat Dubois for a second time, adding him to the list of Fury and Joshua as British heavyweights he has defeated twice, Opetaia looms as a cruiserweight who could possibly follow the Ukrainian’s lead to an undisputed kingdom in boxing’s glamour division.
After all, Usyk has given him the blueprint.
Opetaia's skillset could handle the rest.
Usyk vs Dubois 2 only on DAZN
Watch Usyk versus Dubois 2 live and exclusive on DAZN PPV this Saturday - July 19 - for £24.99 UK; $59.99 US; $19.99/equivalent ROW. Buy the PPV now here.
