Jones says skipping Jai Opetaia protects biggest fight opportunity after Ramirez stoppage
Roy Jones Jr. says David Benavidez should move straight into a fight with Oleksandr Usyk after winning cruiserweight titles. The former champion believes delaying that step could cost him the biggest fight available.
Jones said Benavidez is in a rare position where one fight could change boxing history and his financial future at the same time.
“I think him and Usyk would be a really good fight right now. I really do,” Jones said on The Hall of Game podcast.
Roy went even further when Andre Ward brought up Jai Opetaia as the logical next fight at cruiserweight. Jones argued that fighting Opetaia first would be a mistake because a loss could destroy the bigger Usyk opportunity.
“Go take Usyk while the iron is hot,” Jones said. “If you lose to Opetaia, Usyk fight gone.”
Jones believes Benavidez has already become too big physically for the lower divisions. He said Benavidez looked like “a guy that pulled down to make 200” at the cruiserweight limit and even floated the possibility of him eventually becoming a heavyweight champion.
The interesting part is that Jones is not treating the Usyk idea like fantasy matchmaking. He framed it as the smartest business move available right now, especially with Benavidez’s profile growing after the Ramirez stoppage and Canelo Alvarez still refusing to fight him.
Ward sounded more cautious. He admitted the Usyk fight would be “a huge risk for both fighters” because Usyk is not just a naturally bigger heavyweight but also one of the sport’s most skilled operators.
Still, Jones kept returning to the same point: Benavidez may never have a better time to chase the biggest fight possible.
“The Usyk fight is one of the biggest fights of this decade right now,” Jones said.
