Last year, Jai Opetaia (25-0) was stripped of his IBF cruiserweight world title for failing to rematch Mairis Briedis and instead facing Ellis Zorro, only to fight Briedis for the then vacant IBF title six months later. Now, Opetaia could wind up being stripped for a second time, should he beat Jack Massey (22-2) next month and refuse an additional title defence in the weeks that follow.
Opetaia opted to go ahead with the Zorro fight on the mammoth ‘Day of Reckoning’ card that featured both Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder last year, utilizing his opportunity to appear on the big stage, although it didn’t last long. The Aussie backed up the popular belief that he was the man to beat in the cruiserweight division with a brutal first-round stoppage of the Londoner but did so without a world title to his name.
Soon after, on the Fury-Usyk undercard, Opetaia became a two-time champion and reclaimed his IBF crown with an arduous points victory in the rematch with Briedis, declaring in the aftermath that his focus was on unification bouts and the undisputed throne from there on out.
However, with fellow champions Chris Billam-Smith (WBO) and Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (WBA) set for a unification of their own and Norair Mikaeljan (WBC) fighting at the end of the month, Opetaia has decided to keep up his activity with a voluntary defence of the belt against Jack ‘One Smack’ Massey, on another blockbuster ‘Riyadh Season’ bill.
Now it has been revealed that the IBF have allowed the world title to be on the line for Opetaia’s clash with European champion Massey, but also that the victor must take on the mandatory challenger, Huseyin Cinkara (22-0), no later than January 20th 2025 – likely causing an additional delay to possible unification showdowns, as per Boog Williams.
Jai Opetaia is granted an exception to fight Jack Massey on 10/12/24. Winner has the fight the mandatory Huseyin Cincara in 90 days. pic.twitter.com/4msXSxheDi
— Boog Williams (@Ovajay) September 25, 2024
“The Jai Opetaia vs. Jack Massey bout must take place no later than October 12, 2024.
“The full executed contracts for this bout must be received by the IBF in fifteen days or no later than or by Thursday October 10, 2024.
“The winner of the Jai Opetaia vs. Jack Massey bout must defend his IBF Cruiserweight title within ninety days of October 10, 2024, or no later than Friday January 20, 2025.
“The IBF will not entertain any additional exception requests to further delay the cruiserweight mandatory.”
Germany’s Cinkara has stopped 18 of the 22 opponents on his undefeated record but at 39-years-old there is a feel that this will be Cinkara’s first and last chance at a world title. Earlier this year, Cinkara halted Armend Xhoxhaj in just two rounds in a career-best win but the timing of his mandatory challenge could see him called up to fight on a much larger platform at the end of the year, with the winner of Opetaia-Massey likely to oblige to the IBF demands and feature on the Fury-Usyk II card on December 21st in Riyadh.
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