Jai Opetaia will proceed with his next and is obligated to honor an ordered mandatory title defense.
Both things remain true though the unbeaten lineal and IBF cruiserweight king is not in danger of being stripped of his physical title. BoxingScene.com has confirmed that a November 21 purse bid hearing was canceled, as Sydney’s Opetaia and former three-time titlist Mairis Briedis have agreed to pause their previously ordered rematch.
The two sides did not reach terms during the negotiation period. A purse bid was called, even as it was confirmed that Opetaia (23-0, 17KOs) would next face England’s Ellis Zorro on the December 23 blockbuster event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Boxing Scene has learned that Briedis and his team were made aware of the events and did not object to the fight. However, the blessing came on the condition that their rematch would still occur within the assigned mandatory period.
Opetaia—a 2012 Olympian for Australia at just 17—was the IBF mandatory challenger when he dethroned Latvia’s Briedis (28-2, 20KOs) last July 2 in Broadbeach, Australia. The 28-year-old southpaw has since defended his crown in a one-sided fourth-round knockout of unbeaten Jordan Thompson on September 30 at OVO Arena Wembley in London.
Briedis has not fought at all since his defeat to Opetaia. The setback ended his third title reign just inside of two years following his September 2020 decision win over Yuniel Dorticos.
The 38-year-old Latvian also held the WBC cruiserweight title which he eventually lost to Oleksandr Usyk during the first season of the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS). He then won the WBO title in a wild third-round knockout of Krzysztof Glowacki in their June 2019 WBSS season two semifinal. The controversial nature of the bout prompted the WBO to order a rematch but Briedis vacated the title due to his commitment to face Dorticos in the WBSS finale.
Despite his inactivity, Briedis managed to elevate to the mandatory position by default.
The first title defense for Opetaia was to have been a mandated bout versus Poland’s Mateusz Masternak, who bailed shortly before a scheduled June 15 purse bid hearing. BOXXER-promoted Richard Riakporhe (16-0, 12KOs) pulled a similar disappearing act, as he was forced to withdraw the morning of a planned August 8 purse bid.
Briedis remains prepared to honor his mandatory status, with that conversation likely to resurface in the days following the Opetaia-Zorro championship fight.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox