There has been a long waiting period. But the Latvian world titleholder Mairis Briedis and the rising boxing star from Australia Jai Opetaia are going to get in the ring together for the Mairis Briedis vs. Jai Opetaia match. The upcoming boxing match will happen on Saturday, July 2, 2022, at the Gold Coast and Exhibition Center in Australia. The highly decorated fighter Briedis will put his IBF cruiserweight and Ring titles on the line against Jai, the mandatory challenger in this match. The previous year, the camp had decided to take up the offer to venture into other fields and broaden its horizons. He thinks that the tough rides are all part of the overall experience. Over the past months, the usually reserved champ has shown a playful side. He even got a tattoo of Jake Paul etched on his thigh. He recently went to a fight with Lawrence Okolie in London dressed up as the computer game character Super Mario. Briedis got The Ring title by defeating Yuniel Dorticos a couple of years ago. He had been due to go against Jai in April. But that Mairis Briedis vs. Jai Opetaia match had to be postponed after the champ got Coronavirus. The contest was rescheduled for the next month, But the challenger obtained an injury in the ribs.
Opetaia said, "I've waited a long time for this opportunity. Man, I can't wait! I feel ready. I know he's a great fighter, but I'm a new generation of great coming through. All he's done, that's all in the past now. It's my time. "I know this is a big step up from my past competition. In my last fights, I blew them out of the water... I was levels above... I'm ready to become a world champion. I'm ready for those deep waters. I'm ready to dig deep... I know this is going to be a war, and I'm ready for it." Briedis said, "war is too loud. I understand what they mean about war. I don't know how I feel in the ring, how he feels in the ring. As Mike Tyson said, 'All the plans change after one punch to the head.' I hope we show all the world - and all the world speak about this fight and enjoy this fight."
The champ arrived at the press conference donning a hat that looked like it was supposed to mean something. It was a nod to the iconic Mick Dundee character of Paul Hogan. He talked about the tale of the Latvian-born soldier Arvid Blumenthal. He went to Australia and became an opal miner in that nation. According to urban legends, he hunted more than thirty thousand crocodiles to get the nickname Crocodile Harry. The promoter of the Mairis Briedis vs. Jai Opetaia match is Dean Lonergan. He has declared at a press conference that the match will be special. He said that Jai was the toughest boxer in Australia, if not the toughest sportsman in the whole country. This is because of the tough run of injuries that he has experienced over the years. The champ's world-renowned promoter Kalle Sauerland said the boxer had done everything the hard way. This is because he had come from the small nation of Latvia to become the champion of the world.
One of the other matches on the fight card for Mairis Briedis vs. Jai Opetaia is between Isaac Hardman and Beau Hartas. The former is an Aussie who is infamous for his trash talking. But he went against his usual style when he refused to insult his upcoming opponent in the night's co-main event.
Dean said, "[It will be] one of the all-time great fights we see here in Australia, with two guys who don't take a backward step. I think it'll be an all-time war. I think you're going to see a lot of blood and gore. And you're going to see some amazing boxing skills … it'll be something special. I think this is going to be an absolute war. Jai is incredibly hungry. It has been feeding him for the last six months. It's as big a test as he can possibly have. He's hungry enough to do it. He's got the skill-set to do it. This is Jai's breakthrough fight. Every fighter has one fight that puts them into the consciousness of boxing fans, and this is it for Jai. You either have a great chin, or you don't. There is no developing your ability to take shots. Jai's one of those guys who can take a clean shot without worrying about it. It's a rarity in boxing. Jai's just one of those guys with a genetic advantage that he doesn't go down when you clip him. That would be one of the most gutting things you could have as a boxer. If you're used to knocking guys out, and you hit them flush, and they look at you, shake their head, and move forward, that's about as demoralizing as it gets."
Sauerland added, "I've done a few fights with Don King, but that was one hell of a speech there. I feel like we can already pack up, leave the belt, and go home. We're talking about a guy with pedigree. When we talk about pedigree, this is a three-time world champion … And I can assure you, the belly is empty, and he's still raring to go. He's here to take care of business. We go off and unify (the belts) again," he added, declaring Opetaia's move too big of a step up in class and destined to fail. "I agree with Dean on one thing – this will not go the 12 rounds." Hardman said: "I can't actually fault Beau – I had a look at him. There's not much on him. I searched Facebook and saw him punching down six VBs in 60 seconds in 2012. He's got a sick mullet back then. Now he's got a ratty (rats-tail haircut). I can't knock this block – I will Saturday, unfortunately. But I'm sure I will share a few VBs after too." Beau Hartas said, "I can box, I can bang, I've got pretty good feet, pretty smart … very confident of getting the win here. I've trained my arse off for this."
In the upcoming Mairis Briedis vs. Jai Opetaia match, Jai could become the next champ from Australia at a relatively young age. But there are several boxing fans in the nation who had already predicted that the boxer would get to this stage in a quick time. The boxer is taking on his rival for The Ring and the IBF cruiserweight title in his home nation of Australia at the Gold Coast Convention Centre. It will be the second world champion match on the nation's shores since Jeff Horn defeated Gary Corcoran five years ago. Jai has continued improving his skills with every match throughout his amateur and professional career. He had qualified for the Olympics at only sixteen. He competed in them a year later for a person who had shown such dominance in his youth. It is not a surprise that the boxer has continued to pave his way to a title match. Jai was the top amateur boxer in the nation. He represented his country at the Olympics and the subsequent Commonwealth Games before turning into a professional a few years later.
The young boxer got the OPBF and national cruiserweight championship belts and has victories against mid-shelf rivals, including Benjamin Kelleher and Mark Flanagan. His professional record is unblemished till now, with no losses. The boxer was originally going to go against the champ in April before the latter got infected with the Coronavirus. There was another date that was set for the next month. But there was yet another delay because of a rib injury. In betting odds, Briedis has the upper hand against Jai. The champ has only a single loss to his name in his professional career, which came against the present heavyweight title holder of the world Oleksandr Usyk. Jai is predicting that the Mairis Briedis vs. Jai Opetaia match will be tough and vicious like a war. But the champ has downplayed the talks of a war between them in the Mairis Briedis vs. Jai Opetaia upcoming boxing match.
Opetaia's manager Michael Francis said, "[It] will no doubt be the biggest card of the year. He's the real deal … you're going to see a new champion come Saturday night." Australian boxing legend Jeff Fenech said, "I thought he'd (Opetaia) be doing it way before that. His skill level and talent are amazing. It's happened now, but he's had a few injuries. I thought it would have happened earlier than this. The first time I've seen Jai, I've seen him sparring somewhere. I couldn't believe the skill level and the brilliance in what he does and how he does it. To this day, I still couldn't believe it. Then he trained with us at our gym many times, I watched him box guys that were heavyweights, and he was never hurt or flustered. He was always one step ahead of all of them. Don't underestimate Jai Opetaia. He's going to shock the world."
Nationality: Latvia
Date of Birth: January 13, 1985
Height: 6' 1"
Reach: 75"
Total Fights: 29
Record: 28-1 (20 KOs)
Nationality: Australia
Date of Birth: June 30, 1995
Height: 6' 3"
Reach: 76"
Total Fights: 21
Record: 21-0 (17 KOs)
The Mairis Briedis vs. Jai Opetaia upcoming boxing match is going to be a highly anticipated fight between an experienced and tough champ against a young and rising star who has had a great amateur boxing career before this. While Jai has no defeats in his professional boxing career, the champ has only a single one. Thus, this match is going to be no holds barred between two competitors who will be trying to safeguard their records.