Jai retains his IBF title and looks to Gosford

Three years after breaking his jaw to win the IBF cruiserweight world title, Central Coast boxer Jai Opetaia delivered a brutal reminder of his power, shattering the jaw of challenger Claudio Squeo in the fifth round of their world title fight on Sunday, June 8.

The southpaw floored the Italian with a big left hand early, before ending it in the fifth with a thunderous right uppercut that cracked Squeo’s jaw.

“I heard it crack when I hit him,” Opetaia said.

 “I felt it, and heard it click when it landed.”

The emphatic KO on the Gold Coast not only reaffirmed Opetaia’s dominance in the division, but also reignited discussion about a homecoming fight in Gosford, with Opetaia expressing a clear desire to fight at Industree Group Stadium.

“I’ve been chasing Central Coast Stadium since I was a little kid,” he said.

“I’ve always wanted to take a world title fight back there – it’s my home.”

Opetaia, who first made waves as a teenage Olympian in 2012, was clinical on Sunday.

The fight drew comparisons to Opetaia’s heroic 2022 title win over Mairis Briedis, when he fought through a shattered jaw to claim the IBF crown.

This time, he did the damage, and the result was just as unforgettable.

“I’ve seen it before and when I saw his jaw, and when I looked at it, I knew what had happened,” Opetaia said.

“It was the same venue and ring where I broke mine.”

Referee Robert Hoyle confirmed the decisive uppercut was legal, despite some confusion when Squeo gestured to his mouth.

Opetaia admitted he initially thought the referee was warning him for a low blow.

With the win, Opetaia successfully defended his IBF title and firmed up calls for a unification bout against one of the other cruiserweight champions Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez.

Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium has been floated as a potential venue for a mega-boxing event, with Tasman Fighters’ Promoter Mick Francis saying he’ll push the Queensland Government for funding for a 10-fight supercard, including the likes of Tim Tszyu, Justis Huni, Conor Wallace, George Kambosis and Jai Opetaia.

“I would suggest to put a major event on at Suncorp Stadium you’d need $9M or $10M from the State Government,” Francis said.

“But they’d get it back ten-fold; if you put it on at the right time of year, it’ll definitely sell out.”

However Opetaia made it clear that while he’s open to fighting anywhere, nothing would mean more than a major card in his hometown.

“I’m a Central Coast boy, I’ve got people at home, that’s where I come from,” he said.

“To go around the world, and then back home and do it there, that’s the ultimate goal.”

If he gets his wish, we could see the Watanobbi junior back home on the Central Coast in the near future.

Skaie Hull