Promoter of cruiserweight threatens legal action against IBF.
While the cruiserweight division is regarded as one of the weights most lacking in depth in boxing today, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a universally agreed-upon king.
That king would be Jai Opetaia (30-0, 23 KOs), Australia’s ferocious powerhouse.
Opetaia has reigned as IBF cruiserweight champion on two separate occasions and has made several defences that have ended in some alarming knockout victories.
The reason Opetaia is a two-time champion without ever having lost is because he was stripped of his title after choosing to make a voluntary defence against Ellis Zorro instead of Mairis Briedis, his mandatory challenger.
Briedis was actually the man Opetaia won the title from in the first place, a breakout 2022 victory that received “Upset of the Year” honours from The Ring. And when Opetaia dispatched of Zorro in the first round, he would rematch Briedis to hold the IBF title for a second time.
Only, that second reign has now also come to an end, as the IBF recently chose to strip Opetaia following the Queenslander signing with Zuffa Boxing and winning their cruiserweight championship.
This has divided opinion among fans of the sport. On one hand, Opetaia is the rightful champion and won the title based on his own efforts. On the other hand, Zuffa made it very clear that they didn’t want anything to do with the governing bodies, so Opetaia should have been aware that this was probably going to happen.
Whichever side of the fence you’re on, one person who is definitely not happy is Mick Francis, Opetaia’s promoter and head of Tasman Fighters. Speaking on his fighter being stripped, Francis has stated he intends to take legal action against the IBF.
“If they think we’re just going to take this lying down, they’re dreaming”, Francis said. “Absolutely we’ll be launching legal action.”
The IBF are known for perhaps being the strictest organisation when it comes to enforcing their rules, and their decision to strip Opetaia is just one of many examples of them doing the same thing. As stated earlier, it’s not even the first time it has happened to Opetaia.
Nonetheless, a king without his crown is something that won’t sit right with many people, and that’s a sentiment that certainly resonates with the promoter.
“Jai’s worked too hard for that title. He’s bled for that title and he’s broken bones for it”, said Francis.
This is not a figure of speech, either. In his original title-winning effort over Briedis, Opetaia broke his jaw in two places. However, he soldiered on to win the belt regardless.
Whether the IBF will reinstate Opetaia as champion is unclear, but given their reputation, it is unlikely. Reports also suggest that plans are already in place for the vacant championship to be put on the line between Chris Billam-Smith and the winner of the upcoming eliminator between Viddal Riley and Mateusz Masternak.
🚨 OPETAIA TO LAUNCH LEGAL ACTION AGAINST IBF
👀 Mick Francis on the IBF stripping Jai Opetaia: “If they think we’re just going to take this lying down, they’re dreaming. Absolutely we’ll be launching legal action. Jai’s worked too hard for that title. He’s bled for that title… pic.twitter.com/3dBQ17jnJi
— EverythingBoxing | Darshan Desai (@EverythingBoxi2) March 24, 2026
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