Jai Opetaia has a new ordered challenger for the first defense of his cruiserweight championship reign.
BoxingScene.com has confirmed that the IBF has canceled a purse bid hearing previously scheduled for Thursday, after the sanctioning body was informed that Poland’s Mateusz Masternak will no longer go forward with his mandatory title challenge. Sydney’s Opetaia is now instructed to next face England’s Richard Riakporhe, in lieu of a desired unification bout versus recently crowned WBO titlist Chris Billam-Smith.
“Opetaia was ordered to negotiate with Riakporhe,” the IBF confirmed to Boxing Scene on Wednesday. “They have 30 days to reach an agreement.”
A purse bid hearing will be called if the two sides cannot reach a deal by July 14. Opetaia will be entitled to the favorable end of a 65-35 split as the defending champ.
The development comes exactly four months to the day that Opetaia (22-0, 17KOs) committed to the mandatory title process. The unbeaten 2012 Olympian for Australia and reigning lineal and IBF cruiserweight champion filed for a medical extension on February 14 to recover from shoulder surgery, after which the sanctioning body ordered the fight.
A deal was not reached between Opetaia and Masternak (47-5, 31KOs), which led to the scheduling of a June 15 purse bid hearing. Masternak’s team informed the IBF on Wednesday of its plans to move in a different direction, to the dismay of an understandably furious Opetaia.
“What a waste of time,” Opetaia exclaimed upon learning the news. “He used to be a good fighter, now he’s a has-been. I would’ve retired him.
“If you don’t want the smoke, why waste the last few months talking shit?”
Opetaia immediately set his sights on Billam-Smith. That will have to wait as he will instead enter negotiations with the only fighter to hang a loss on the Bournemouth native.
Riakporhe (16-0, 12KOs) enters his first career title fight on the heels of his best win to date. The unbeaten 33-year-old Londoner scored a fourth-round knockout of former multi-time WBO cruiserweight titlist Krzysztof Glowacki on January 21 in Manchester, England. He’s also claimed notable wins over Olanrewaju Durodola, then-unbeaten prospects Deion Jumah, Jack Massey and none other than Billam-Smith in their July 2019 clash at The O2.
Billam Smith went on to claim the WBO strap in a well-earned but strangely scored majority decision win over unbeaten champ Lawrence Okolie on May 27 in his Bournemouth hometown. Fittingly to this conversation, he is now rumored to next face Masternak while Opetaia is left to defend versus Riakporhe.
Opetaia won the lineal and IBF cruiserweight championship following a twelve-round, unanimous decision victory over three-time cruiserweight champ Mairis Briedis last July 2 in Broadbeach, Australia. Judges John Basile (116-112), Steve Weisfeld (116-112) and Katsuhiko Nakamura (115-113) all scored in favor of Opetaia, who overcame a twice-broken jaw during their terrific fight to end Briedis’ third cruiserweight title reign.
The immediate goal after outpointing Briedis was to target the other champions. The ambition is in line with the history already created by the 27-year-old southpaw, who—at just 16—was the youngest Aussie to ever compete in the Olympics when he represented his nation in the 2012 London Games.
The process to recover from two separate injuries instead left Opetaia out of the ring for more than a year ahead of his maiden title defense.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox