- Opetaia broke Squeo’s jaw in dominant fifth-round title defence
- He said he was rushed and wanted a quick finish
- Next, he’s targeting a unification fight with Zurdo Ramírez
Rising Aussie fighter Jai Opetaia has revealed the savage reason why he dealt with his latest fashion in a swift and brutal fashion before calling out Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramírez.
Opetaia delivered another commanding performance on the Gold Coast, defending his IBF and The Ring cruiserweight titles.
The Australian champion stopped unbeaten Italian challenger Claudio Squeo in the fifth round with a thunderous right hook.
Moments after the fight, news broke that Squeo had likely suffered a broken jaw.
‘It was a matter of time,’ commentator Ben Damon said as the referee waved the bout off.
Opetaia later told the crowd why he dispatched his latest challenger in such efficient – and savage – style.
Jai Opetaia retained his IBF and The Ring cruiserweight titles with a fifth-round knockout on the Gold Coast
Claudio Squeo entered the ring undefeated but was overwhelmed by Opetaia’s reach, power and relentless forward pressure
‘I was just in a rush, I just really wanted to get him out of here,’ he said.
It was a chillingly honest remark from a fighter who has become known for both his patience and ferocity.
The fight began cautiously, with Opetaia feeling out his opponent in the opening round.
By the second, he had found his rhythm, landing clean blows and showing off his footwork.
‘The intensity has dialled right up,’ Damon said during the third as Squeo began to retreat.
Cracks appeared in the Italian’s defence as Opetaia pushed forward with increasing pressure.
In the fourth, the crowd erupted in boos after a controversial moment.Squeo crumpled from a crushing body shot, but the referee ruled Opetaia had held him.
Replays showed the punch landed cleanly in the chest, not low as Squeo had signalled.
The Australian champion declared post-fight he was “just in a rush” to finish the bout quickly
Opetaia has now won 28 fights without a loss, many via knockout or technical stoppage
It didn’t matter. In the fifth, Opetaia closed the show. He marched forward and crushed Squeo’s jaw with a brutal right hook. Squeo dropped to his knees, grabbed his face and couldn’t continue.
‘He knew it was hurt straight away,’ said Ted Cofie in commentary.
Opetaia, who broke his own jaw in the same ring in 2022 against Mairis Briedis, showed no sympathy. Instead, he turned his attention to unification.
‘I’m chasing these unification fights. I’m chasing these world champions,’ Opetaia said.
That means WBO and WBA titleholder Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramírez is now firmly in his sights.
Ramírez is set to face Yuniel Dorticos on June 28, with Opetaia planning to be ringside.
‘Next fight is Zurdo Ramírez,’ Opetaia said. ‘He’s mentioned me, he’s told me he’ll fight me next … so let’s get it on.’
The 29-year-old then stared down the broadcast camera and repeated his challenge: ‘Let’s get it on.’
Opetaia’s win moved his record to a perfect 28-0, with many of those victories ending in highlight-reel knockouts.
Despite being one of the world’s most dangerous punchers, his technical skill often goes unnoticed.
His height, reach, and power were too much for the Italian, who entered undefeated with a 17-0 record.
Opetaia thanked the packed crowd and gave a special shoutout to fans from Australia and the Pacific Islands.
‘We did what we have to do. We’ve got a lot more to go,’ he said.
