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IBF cruiserweight champion Jay Opetaia and challenger David Niika weighed in at 199.5lbs on Monday for their fight on Wednesday, January 8, at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, Broadbeach, Australia.
Niika looked well defined, showing very little fat on his 6’6″ frame. During the skirmish, two fighters faced each other. It had a pro wrestling feel to it, and I was expecting some theatrics from the neck. That’s the only thing missing.
Opetaia (26-0, 20 KOs) is the favorite, but Niika (10-0, 9 KOs) has a realistic chance to win. He caught Jai at a good time in his career after his two grueling fights against former IBF champion Mairis Briedis. He softened. The event will be shown live on DAZN.
Hearn Hippes Opetaia
“David Niika is here to fight.” He is one of the best amateurs this part of the world has seen in a long time. He took over the fight for the next three weeks. He sees something. He believes, but tomorrow night he will face the animal in Jai Opetaia. It’s going to be a brilliant fight,” Eddie Hearn said DAZN Boxing on today’s Jai Opetaia vs. David Niika weighing.
“You sell him for what he is.” He is an animal. He won’t come out, sing you a song, and cheer up your face. He just wants to fight,” Hearn said Sporting News Australiaspeaking of Opetaia. “It’s Jai. He is a vicious savage. What you see is what you get, and that’s why people love to watch him fight.
“He is a real champion. When you say Usik. I don’t see any heavyweight who can beat Usyk. Maybe Jai can’t beat Usyk, but it’s a hell of a fight. When you look at how Usyk becomes the undisputed cruiserweight, then he comes to heavyweight and becomes undisputed. It’s the same goal that Jay Opeptaya has,” Hearn said.
The fight between Opetaya and Usyk is still away as Jai still needs to collect the other three belts before achieving his goal of becoming the undisputed cruiserweight champion. It will take time. Opetaia might be better off setting aside his goal and moving up to heavyweight alongside Usyk to challenge for his three belts. He can always go back to the division to continue collecting them all.
“If we can make that happen at heavyweight, I think that will make Usyk’s fight huge.” You imagine the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world fighting the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world,” Hearn said. It’s a big fight. It has to go through David Niik. It won’t be easy.”
Niika has a real chance to win this fight if she hangs on and goes into the second half of the contest and starts to break Jai down with pressure. Opetaja’s face breaks when he gets hit hard, and he has those bumps around his eyes that tend to swell up when he gets hit. If Niika can land enough shots to the eye ridges, she can cut him down and maybe score a break.
“I know he’s a big favorite to do it, but if he does it, you have to focus on the other champions.” I think the Zurdo fight is a brilliant fight. “Get Wednesday out of the way, and the goal has to be to unify the division,” Hearn said.
