JAI OPETAIA is aware of he can’t look previous his subsequent world title defence however admits a struggle put ahead by Turki Alalshikh is one which pursuits him.
The Australian cruiserweight faces Jack Massey on October 12 in Riyadh and is a big odds-on favorite to retain his IBF belt. Opetaia vs. Massey is a part of one other engaging Riyadh Season card headlined by the undisputed light-heavyweight title struggle between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Alalshikh, the person liable for the present slate of mega fights, is eager on a bout between Opetaia and Bivol regardless of the 25-lb weight distinction. Ought to a struggle happen, the Russian must bulk as much as face the 29-year-old. Regardless, Opetaia is open to the potential of a struggle towards the 33-year-old sooner or later.
“That’s a struggle that I might like to occur,” Opetaia informed Boxing Information.
“I respect Bivol, I might like to share the ring with him. That chess match, that stylistic struggle that folks watch over and over – they’re the fights that I grew up watching. My outdated man, my coach would make me watch them and go, see this, see what he does, after which get out the pen and paper and take notes. That’s the kind of fighter I wish to be.
“I wanna be the fighter {that a} coach exhibits their fighter and says that is what you’re meant to do. We wish to placed on clinics and struggle good. To have a struggle like that will simply be large.”
