Light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol and former IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia likely will never fight as fans had hoped they would.
We saw in Bivol’s last fight against Lyndon Arthur that he doesn’t possess the punching power or the mentality to deal with an aggressive fighter who is attacking him with hard shots.
Bivol was backing off when Arthur was taking the fight to him, and he didn’t look comfortable dealing with the pressure. If Bivol fought Opetaia, he would be under constant duress.
Size matters
Opetaia (24-0, 19 KOs) is too big and too strong for Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs), who is small enough to compete at 168 if he wants to.
The 32-year-old Bivol doesn’t possess the size or pack enough power to go up 25 lbs and take on Opetaia at cruiserweight.
Opetaia will likely move up to heavyweight in three or four more fights after he exhausts his best at cruiserweight.
The fights that fans would like to see the 28-year-old Australian Opetaia involved in at cruiserweight are against these fighters before he moves up to heavyweights:
- Artur Goulamirian
- Chris Billiam-Smith
- Richard Riakporhe
- Mairis Briedis: Rematch
- Gilberto Ramirez
- Noel Mikaelyan
Opetaia too powerful for Bivol
“I know the Saudi Arabians were trying to push Jai Opetaia and Dmitry Bivol together. Yeah, Opetaia is too big and too powerful for him,” said Gareth A. Davies to Boxing Social about former IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia having too much size and strength for WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol.
The punches that Opetaia was hitting his opponent Ellis Zorro with during the ‘Day of Reckoning’ event last December would have been difficult for Bivol to take without folding quickly. Joe Smith Jr. had Bivol hurt during their fight in 2019, and he’s not nearly the puncher as the southpaw Opetaia.
“They look similar when they’re standing next to each other. There’s a picture out there that the Saudis put out. We’re already talking in the industry about Jai Opetaia stepping up to heavyweight because he carries a huge amount of power,” Gareth said.
Still unfinished business
“He’s rated by most people as the #1 cruiserweight in the world. We probably need to see that in over two or three fights,” said Gareth about Opetaia. “Let’s see him wreck a few people. He’s got to get in with Riakporhe, and Chris Billiam-Smith or maybe Artur Goulamirian. Maybe just prove something.”
It’s fair to say that none of those cruiserweight will want anything to do with Opetaia due to the risk that he presents, which means the only way any of those fighters are going to be tempted to face him is if the Saudis offer big money to them.
Without them making it financially worthwhile to take on Opetaia, he’s likely going to leave the division sooner to head towards heavyweight, where he’ll have a better chance of getting interesting fights.
Bivol has legacy fight at 175
“Having said that. If he’s suddenly invited up as a wild card in the heavyweight Super League up in Saudi, he’s going to take it,” said Gareth. “There’s probably three or four times more money than what he’s earning at cruiserweight.
“This is a business as much as a sport. Money talks, and it always tells. So, that’s the dollar chain that he’s going to be on. It’s just too outlandish for Bivol to go up and face Opetaia, especially when there’s that legacy fight up there at 175 with Beterbiev, and Beterbiev is promoted by Bob Arum, who obviously has a relationship with the Saudis as well, initially through Tyson Fury.”
If there’s only one fight between Bivol and Beterbiev, then Dmitry could be tempted to face Opetaia unless he moves down to 168 to go after the big names in that division.
“If you look at the money chain, and you look at the business routes, and for me, that’s the fight [Beterbiev vs. Bivol] that happens next,” said Gareth.
