Less than 48 hours after finding out they were fighting each other, Ellis Zorro and cruiserweight champion, Jai Opetaia, found themselves talking to each other at a press conference and posing for head to head photos.
Zorro and Opetai will fight on next weekend’s massive ‘Day of Reckoning’ card in Saudi Arabia but surprised, shocked and elated to have been chosen to play a part in the biggest fight card for years, neither fighter had time to switch into fight mode.
“I was by myself and he came over and shook hands, he must have been with part of his team. He was good as gold to be fair,” Zorro told Richard Hubbard for Blighty boxing.
“This is what I’ve been asking for and what I’m in the sport for. Financially it can change my life to get these opportunities. Yeah, I’m happy with it.”
That last statement may have been said with a hint of understatement.
All but four of Zorro’s 17 fights have taken place at London’s atmospheric but small York Hall and three of those came during the one night Boxxer cruiserweight tournament Zorro (17-0, 7 KO’s) won in Manchester in 2022.
Over the past 15 months he has won and defended the WBO European title and beaten solid operators, Dec Spelman, Hosea Burton and Luca D’Ortenzi. Zorro has proven himself more than ready for a step up in class and has been asking for the chance to perform in some more luxurious surroundings.
Next Saturday, he will walk out at the spectacular Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia to fight the best cruiserweight in the world. He will do so as part of a massive card that also features the likes of Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder and Dmitry Bivol.
Never in his wildest dreams would the 31-year-old Londoner have anticipated the step to be so big and the environment to be so lavish.
“This opportunity came a few days before the press conference,” he said. “It was literally a phone call. Martin [Bowers, his manager] said this had come through, I was like where and how much and then I said ‘Yeah.’
“This kind of show – with A.J and Wilder on the card – it’s probably the best card in history. It felt mad sitting up there next [Dmitry] Bivol and all these guys. What it can do for my profile, and I get my wish, I get to get out of the York Hall. I was expecting the Copper Box Arena or the O2 but I’ve gone all the way over there. It’s all good.”.
The IBF’s decision to forbid Opetaia from defending his title on the show won’t affect Zorro in the slightest. Whether the belt is on the line or not, his is the chance he has been dreaming of.
Zorro’s life changed the moment he said ‘Yes’ to the unexpected opportunity. If he performs well but loses, he will gain respect and be inundated with offers for future work. If he wins, he can change the course of his families lives forever.
“I’m not a fool in terms of the win-win thing but as soon as the bell goes, I’m competitive,” he said. “I’m gonna wanna win and I’ll be there to win. I still haven’t lost. Amateur or pro. I’m not familiar with losing up here [in his mind]. I understand I’ve got him in front of me, but I don’t envision losing, I don’t imagine losing because I’ve never lost. I don’t know that feeling. It’s new to me.
“Obviously I understand the opponent is much, much better but I’ll be there to win.”