IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia (26-0, 20 KOs) placed on a formidable efficiency, scoring a sixth-round knockout of #10 ranked contender Jack Massey (22-3, 12 KOs) in a voluntary protection on Saturday evening on the Kingdom Area in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The combat was stopped at 2:00 of spherical six after Massey’s coach threw within the towel. Massey fought passively all through the combat, showing afraid to throw punches for concern of being countered by one of many highly effective pictures from the southpaw Opetaia.
Massey, 31, was getting hit at will by Opetaia from the primary spherical and solely not often throwing something again in return. When Massey did often hit Opetaia with shot, he’d ship the champion retreating like a bolt of lightning had hit him.
The 29-year-old Opetaia was uncomfortable with Massey’s pictures, however the British fighter didn’t hit him sufficient to be aggressive. It might have been fascinating if Massey had gone all out together with his offense as a result of Opetaia would freeze for a break up second when hit cleanly by him. This implies that his punch resistance isn’t pretty much as good because it must be for him to be in wars.
Total, Opetaia carried out significantly better than in his earlier combat towards Mairis Briedis on Might 18th of this yr. Within the later rounds of that combat, Opetaia struggled beneath the 39-year-old Briedis’s stress, and he began getting busted up by the previous champion.
That combat confirmed that Opetaia doesn’t wish to be pressured and doesn’t react effectively when hit. We noticed a few of that at occasions tonight as effectively, however Massey didn’t present sufficient offense to carry out the weak point that Briedis had uncovered.
Opetaia desires to combat the winner of tonight’s primary occasion between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. He would stand likelihood of beating Bivol, who can’t punch, however Beterbiev can be a nightmare for him.
Beterbiev would assault relentlessly, butcher Opetaia on the within, and certain knock him out early. Opetaia confirmed tonight that he doesn’t have an inside sport. He’s strictly an outdoor bomber with no coronary heart for the give-and-take in a warfare.
Final Up to date on 10/12/2024
