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Bellew vs Opetaia: Liverpool man reveals how he would cope with Australian superstar
Jai Opetaia is back in action this weekend when he defends his cruiserweight world title against Claudio Squeo in Queensland , live on DAZN .
Since becoming world champion in 2022, Opetaia has gone on an incredible run stopping a series of solid contenders on his way to becoming one of the sport’s most dominant fighters.
Opetaia is under pressure to perform well in his native Australia on Sunday as victory could land him an even bigger fight later this year.
On June 28, also live on DAZN , Gilberto Ramirez will defend his world titles against Yuniel Dorticos on the undercard of Jake Paul’s fight with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr .
If both Opetaia and Ramirez emerge from their upcoming clashes with victories, then a huge unification bout could take place later this year with high stakes for both men.
Tony Bellew, a former world champion at cruiserweight, bowed out if the sport in 2018, a couple of years before Opetaia’s ascension took place, but how does he feel he would have coped in the ring against the current IBF ruler.
“He’s a stylistic nightmare for me,” said Bellew when speaking to DAZN News at the end of 2024.
“He’s a southpaw with a big punch so there’s a couple of problems and he’s also capable of fighting on the inside, so he has a lot of things going for him.
“I’d welcome the challenge, and I will say he does give you some openings. I’d have to take advantage of that, but it would be a hard night. That’s what I’ll say about him.”
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