Jai Opetaia reiterated his desire for a unification bout with Gilberto Ramirez, following his successful defense of the IBF and Ring Magazine cruiserweight titles in dominant fashion.
This victory came against Claudio Squeo, headlining a Tasman Fighters event at the Gold Coast Convention Centre in Queensland, Australia.
Concern arose when Squeo, a relatively unknown boxer, weighed in at just over 191lbs the previous day.
While the Italian challenger typically weighs below the 200lb cruiserweight limit, the significant size disparity fueled speculation that he wouldn`t survive the full 12 rounds.
From a measured start, Opetaia (28-0, 22 KOs) landed his left hand with ease, while Squeo did little to evade the consistent shot.
In the second round, the challenger continued to advance with a lack of tactical precision, allowing the more dynamic Opetaia to comfortably pick him apart from long range.
The third round saw a more punishing display from Opetaia, as he seamlessly moved in and out of range while delivering a fierce attack.
Squeo managed to continue into the fourth round, only to be sent to the canvas by a sharp body shot.
However, referee Robert Hoyle ruled it a no-knockdown, penalizing Opetaia for holding the back of his opponent`s head during the sequence.
Despite this, the dominant champion soon broke his opponent down and, early in the fifth round, ended the fight with a looping right hook.
Hoyle issued a count, but Squeo showed no desire to continue, ending his world title challenge in a decisive defeat.
In his post-fight interview, Opetaia admitted, “I was just in a rush – I really wanted to get him out of there. I`m chasing those unification fights – I`m chasing those world champions – and that`s where I`m focused.”
He specifically called out “Zurdo” Ramirez, stating, “Next fight: Zurdo Ramirez. He`s mentioned me; he`s told me he`ll fight me next after [his WBA and WBO world title defence against Yuniel Dorticos on June 28], so let`s get it on.”
Opetaia added, “The fight is easy to be made – we are ready. Whenever you call, we are ready.”
Shortly after, the Australian`s manager, Mick Francis, suggested the unification fight could potentially take place on a Riyadh Season card in October.
