[ad_1]
Jai Opetaia’s subsequent combat might be determined a technique or one other.
BoxingScene.com has confirmed {that a} November 21 purse bid listening to is scheduled for the ordered IBF (and lineal) cruiserweight championship rematch between Opetaia because the defending champ and former three-time titlist Mairis Briedis. The 2 sides didn’t attain phrases throughout the negotiation interval, which prompted the IBF to schedule a second purse bid for the day, together with the Jermell Charlo-Bakhram Murtazaliev junior middleweight championship.
The event comes as Sydney’s Opetaia (23-0, 17KOs) is closely rumored to land on the undercard of the December 23 blockbuster occasion in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. An opponent was not connected to his potential placement on a present which Boxing Scene has confirmed at the least bouts—Anthony Joshua-Otto Wallin, Deontay Wilder-Joseph Parker and Daniel Dubois-Jarrell Miller—together with at the least two different slotted heavyweight fights.
Representatives from the respective groups for the pair of prime cruiserweights didn’t instantly reply to inquiries in search of remark as this goes to publication.
Opetaia (23-0, 17KOs)—a 2012 Olympian for Australia at simply 17—was the IBF obligatory challenger when he dethroned Latvia’s Briedis (28-2, 20KOs) final July 2 in Broadbeach, Australia. The 28-year-old southpaw has since defended his crown in a one-sided fourth-round knockout of unbeaten Jordan Thompson on September 30 at OVO Area Wembley in London.
Briedis has not fought in any respect since his defeat to Opetaia. The setback ended his third title reign simply inside two years following his September 2020 resolution win over Yuniel Dorticos.
The 38-year-old Latvian additionally held the WBC cruiserweight title which he finally misplaced to Oleksandr Usyk throughout the first season of the World Boxing Tremendous Collection (WBSS). He then received the WBO title in a wild third-round knockout of Krzysztof Glowacki of their June 2019 WBSS season two semifinal. The controversial nature of the bout prompted the WBO to order a rematch however Briedis vacated the title as a consequence of his dedication to face Dorticos within the WBSS finale.
Regardless of his inactivity, Briedis managed to raise to the obligatory place by default.
The primary title protection for Opetaia was to have been a mandated bout versus Poland’s Mateusz Masternak, who bailed shortly earlier than a scheduled June 15 purse bid listening to. BOXXER-promoted Richard Riakporhe (16-0, 12KOs) pulled the same disappearing act, as he was compelled to withdraw the morning of a deliberate August 8 purse bid.
Riakporhe’s title has surfaced as a possible Opetaia opponent for the December 23 Riyadh present. Nevertheless, it’s extremely uncertain that he’ll land the combat. The 33-year-old Londoner is because of face Dylan Bregeon this Saturday atop a Sky Sports activities present (additionally on the NBC Peacock app within the U.S.) from Civic Corridor in Wolverhampton, England.
Moreover, IBF guidelines additionally state that any fighter who refuses to take part in an ordered combat might be demoted within the rankings and ineligible to take part in a sanctioned bout for at least six months. That leaves Riakporhe on the skin wanting in till subsequent February. Briedis and the IBF would additionally need to agree to permit such a combat to occur; to this point, there isn’t any indication that Briedis plans to step apart in a bid to develop into a four-time cruiserweight champ.
Jake Donovan is a senior author for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
[ad_2]
Source link
