Gilberto Ramirez has rubbished suggestions he doesn’t want to fight Jai Opetaia, in the surest sign yet their blockbuster world title unification clash will happen.
Australian IBF and The Ring cruiserweight champion Opetaia (27-0) first won those belts nearly three years ago, but has not been given the chance to add more.
That looks set to end as early as September, potentially in the US on the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford card, should they both win their upcoming defences as expected.
Opetaia meets Italian Claudio Squeo (17-0) at the Gold Coast Convention Centre next Sunday, then Mexican southpaw Ramirez defends the WBO and WBA straps against Yuneil Dorticus 20 days later.
Ramirez, the 33-year-old former WBO super middleweight champion, is the co-main to Jake Paul’s own headliner against Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr.
His alliance with the YouTuber-turned-boxer had added to the doubts about a potential fight with Opetaia, with Paul a potential opponent for Ramirez in what would be a big-money fight.
But Opetaia’s camp are confident Saudi billionaire Turki Al-Sheikh will back their unification pursuit and, a week out from the Squeo fight, Ramirez has moved to dispel any doubts he’s ducking.
“People want to see that fight, I want that fight,” he said.
“Jai Opetaia keeps saying I don’t want to fight him.
“It’s not like what he says. I have the mandatory (on June 28) … I will take care of him after the mandatory.”
Despite having his jaw broken twice, Opetaia upset Latvian Mairis Briedis in July 2022 at the same Gold Coast venue to first win the belts.
He defended them once with a brutal knockout of Jordan Thompson at Wembley Arena, before the IBF stripped him of the honour when he forged ahead with a big-money fight against Ellis Zorro in Saudi Arabia.
Opetaia, who fought for Australia at the Olympics as a 17-year-old, then won back the IBF belt in a rematch with Briedis, before two comfortable defences.
The latest of those was also on the Gold Coast, Opetaia knocking out late call-up David Nyika after an entertaining four-round slugfest.
The card will also feature popular Brisbane-based Irish light heavyweight Conor Wallace, who is on track for a world title shot of his own within 12 months.
Their Tasman Fighters stablemate Justis Huni is also in action next Sunday, the heavyweight offered a shot at Fabio Wardley for the WBA’s interim world title belt at the Englishman’s Ipswich home town.
He’ll fight on June 7 (Sunday morning in Australia), just hours before Opetaia defends his belts in Queensland.
https://thewest.com.au/sport/boxing/boxing-unification-call-out-is-music-to-opetaias-ears-c-18879002
