Above: Opetaia in the rematch vs. Mairis Briedis (Photo by Mohammed Saad/Anadolu via Getty Images; Tuna by Vecteezy)

By Anthony Cocks

Jai Opetaia, the Fighting Fisherman

Boxing is a serious business and boxers are serious people. And why wouldn’t they be? Every time they step into the ring, they are performing a high-wire act without a net. One false move could end in injury – or worse.

Ring Magazine cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia (25-0, 19 KOs) is as intense as any athlete in the sport. The steely eyes, the firm voice and the very presence of the man is both impressive and, quite frankly, a little scary.

But what really makes this 29-year-old southpaw tick? In a recent interview with the undefeated Australian, I pulled the curtain back to find out more about his life away from the ring.

Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you Jai Opetaia, the Fighting Fisherman:

Liam Paro aims for ring return later this year in his native Australia

Newly crowned IBF junior welterweight titleholder Liam “The Prodigy” Paro looks set to make the first defense of his belt on home soil following his shock win over Subriel Matias in mid-June. 

Paro (25-0, 15 KOs) was given little chance of upsetting the heavy-handed Matias in Puerto Rico, but he proved the critics wrong. The 28-year-old southpaw from Mackay in Queensland boxed a superb fight, controlling the early rounds and staving off Matias’ surge in the mid-rounds before regaining the upper hand in the last third of the bout. The Australian would win a unanimous decision by scores of 116-111 and 115-112 (twice) after being docked a point in the seventh heat for rabbit punches. Paro, who was previously unrated by The Ring, moved into the No. 3 contender position at 140 pounds with his victory over Matias (20-2, 20 KOs).

The plan now is for Paro to return on another Matchroom Boxing card in Australia in October or November. Some of the names being bandied about include Devin Haney and George Kambosos Jr., but as of writing, nothing is set in stone.

Skye Nicolson notches another win, looks around for another challenge

Globetrotting Skye Nicolson (11-0, 1 KO) is continuing to build a name for herself with her sixth-straight win on the road.

The WBC featherweight titleholder was simply too classy for the Dominican Republic’s Dyana Vargas (19-2, 12 KOs), boxing her ears off and pitching a shutout at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 13.

With Ring Magazine champion Amanda Serrano (46-2-1, 30 KOs) tied up for the rest of the year, Yatala lefty Nicolson, 28, is looking elsewhere for challenges.

“There’s huge, great fights to be made in the featherweight division without [Serrano],” Nicolson, The Ring’s No. 1-rated featherweight, said after her win over Vargas. “Raven Chapman, Tiara Brown, I want the smoke. Let’s go!”

Skye Nicolson jabs Dyana Vargas during their fight at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. (Photo by Melina Pizano/Matchroom)

Alex Winwood lands opportunity of a lifetime in his hometown

Strawweight Alex Winwood (4-0, 2 KOs) will get the opportunity to live out his dream when he challenges longtime WBA 105-pound titleholder and No. 4 in The Ring’s rankings, Knockout CP Freshmart 24-0 (9 KOs), at HBF Stadium in Perth, Western Australia, on September 7.

The 27-year-old Winwood from Mandurah has long said he wants to beat Jeff Fenech’s record of seven fights to win a world title. 

Thailand’s Freshmart, whose real name is Thammanoon Niyomtrong, has been a mainstay of boxing’s lightest weight class since winning the WBA strap eight years ago. But now, pushing 34 and after two years on the sidelines, he might be ripe for the picking.

“I think that everything might just swing in my favor a bit more,” Winwood told The Ring. “Speed might outdo power.”

Sam Goodman remains in the hunt for Naoya Inoue’s crown

The Ring’s No. 4-ranked junior featherweight, Sam “The Ghost” Goodman (19-0, 8 KOs), has cleared the path for a shot at world champion Naoya “Monster” Inoue (27-0, 24 KOs) in December.

Albion Park’s Goodman, 25, risked his mandated shot at the 31-year-old Japanese superstar by taking on tough Thai Chainoi “Rockman” Worawut (25-1-1, 15 KOs) at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong, New South Wales, on July 10.

Despite suffering a suspected broken left hand, Goodman ran away a clear winner by scores of 119-109, 117-113 and 117-111. 

Inoue is set to return against a resurgent TJ Doheny (26-4, 20 KOs) at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, on September 3. Providing he comes through that bout unscathed, he will meet Goodman to discharge his mandatory obligation in the last month of the calendar year.

Tim Tszyu set to return in September, targeting Erickson Lubin

Junior middleweight contender Tim Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) will return to the ring in his native Australia on September 22 in an IBF title eliminator. The targeted opponent is hard-hitting American southpaw Erickson Lubin (25-2, 18 KOs).

Back on June 5, the IBF ordered an elimination bout between Lubin, 28, and the 29-year-old Tszyu, but with negotiations currently stalled, Tszyu’s promoter, No Limit Boxing, has called for an immediate purse bid to break the stalemate.

Sydney’s Tszyu has been out of the ring since his split decision loss to late replacement Sebastian Fundora in Las Vegas back in March. In that bout, Tszyu suffered a nasty cut to his scalp near the end of the second round when an errant elbow from Fundora split open his melon. The wound poured blood for the rest of the fight and affected Tszyu’s vision. The 116-112, 113-115 and 112-116 loss cost him his WBO title.

Sebastian Fundora’s height and reach were obviously a challenge for Tim Tszyu, but all the blood streaming down his face may have been even worse. (Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)

Tszyu was expected to face former welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz Jr. in Los Angeles on August 3, but that bout was canceled after the ex-titleholder received medical advice that the cut would need longer to heal. Tszyu and No Limit are now targeting a run at the IBF title, which is currently held by undefeated Russian Bakhram Murtazaliev. 

If the Lubin fight can’t be made, other names in the frame include England’s Josh Kelly, American southpaw Jesus Ramos Jr. and Germany’s former world title challenger Jack Culcay.

Lubin has fought just five times since 2019, including a stoppage loss to Fundora in 2022. (Photo by Esther Lin/Showtime)

Lubin was in negotiations to fight Tszyu in March, but the bout never materialized. Instead, the assignment went to veteran Keith Thurman, who was forced to withdraw just 12 days out from the fight after suffering a biceps injury. He was replaced by 6-foot-6 southpaw Fundora.

“Everyone knows what happened last time,” said Tszyu at a press conference to discuss the Lubin bout. “He did the Charlo. I was waiting for him and I was prepping for him. But again, a lot of people talk the talk, but when it’s up to getting it done, they sort of go the other way running.

“We’re the two main boys in the division in the IBF, so I hope we can get it on. Let’s see if he accepts. That’s the real question.”

Lubin bounced back from his ninth-round stoppage loss to Fundora in April 2022 with a brace of wins last year against Ramos and Luis Arias. He has not boxed since last September.

“It’s real simple,” Tszyu continued. “I just want to fight. I want to get it on. For me, it’s a long time out of the ring, and I’ve been edging and bugging, and this cut hasn’t helped either. But right now, it’s like you’re holding me back.

“So I can’t wait, if the Lubin fight happens and he doesn’t get cold feet. I hope he accepts, because we do have some unfinished business.

“I’ve got nothing but respect for the bloke, besides the fact he went running last time.”

Australian-based boxing journalist Anthony Cocks has been covering the sport for over 20 years for various print and online publications.

Follow @x

By Yuriko Miyata

Naoya Inoue made his next outing official with a press conference in the grand ballroom of Grand Hyatt Tokyo on July 16. The undisputed junior featherweight announced that he will face former IBF beltholder TJ Doheny on September 3 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo. Some have criticized Inoue’s choice of opponent, but The Monster is not looking past Doheny, The Ring’s No. 7-rated 122-pounder.

“This is a fight that I must be very sharp for,” said Inoue, who has already begun camp, including sparring. “Even if people cannot be very excited about me fighting TJ Doheny following the Tokyo Dome fight (against Luis Nery in May), I will take care of it very carefully. Doheny has scored three KOs in a row, including against my sparring partners Kazuki Nakajima and Japhethlee Llamido. 

Inoue (seated second from right) at the press conference announcing his fight against TJ Doheny. (Photo by Naoki Fukuda)

“He has power and a bigger frame than me and is an experienced talent who can use what he has fully in the ring. But I won’t allow him to touch me at all, though I know he wants to come forward to hit hard. His style, my style and my nature won’t make this fight boring.” 

In the co-featured bout to Inoue-Doheny, Yoshiki Takei will take on popular former WBC flyweight titleholder Daigo Higa in the inaugural defense of the WBO bantamweight title he won from Jason Moloney on the historic Inoue-Nery undercard.

It was thought that Inoue’s next opponent would be the IBF and WBO No. 1 contender, Sam Goodman, but the unbeaten Australian was scheduled to fight in July (vs. Thai fringe contender Chainoi Worawut). Inoue’s promoter, Hideyuki Ohashi, turned to the 37-year-old Irish southpaw who had already fought and won under his promotional banner, including on the Tokyo Dome undercard as a “fail safe” substitute in case Nery missed making weight. 

“Doheny deserves this opportunity to fight Inoue that he was craving for,” said Ohashi. “Doheny is a more dangerous opponent than Nery in a sense. He is not there only to survive. He is the one to throw hard punches to win.”

via Fighter Channel 3 on YouTube:

Ohashi also selected an interesting challenger for Takei (9-0, 8 KOs), the unconventional southpaw who became the first Japanese fighter to win world titles both in K-1 and boxing when he defeated Moloney. 

“Both Takei and Higa are aggressive with punching power,” said Ohashi, who was an all-action strawweight contender and champion during the late 1980s and early 1990s. “That’s the kind of fight to make. I am not excited about fights that cannot excite fans. Of course it’s dangerous, but everybody wants to see that dangerous fight. That’s what I cannot forget as a promoter.”

Takei, Japan’s 100th world champion, is motivated to face the former flyweight standout who has campaigned at bantamweight since 2020. 

Jason Moloney absorbs a shot from Yoshiki Takei. (Photo by Naoki Fukuda)

“This is the fight I would want to see if I were a fan. I got excited when it was set to fight him,” said Takei, The Ring’s No. 4-rated bantamweight, who has sparred with Higa. “It was just one session and it was a long (time ago), but I remembered he hit hard. Daigo is a nice person, and we talk, but we fight now. He has power, speed, aggression, with a strong heart. I will deal with it all and knock him out. That’s my goal. I have three other champions above me in this division, but before thinking about fighting them, I must overcome Daigo Higa first.” 

Higa (21-2-1, 19 KOs) is fighting for a world title for the first time since he lost his WBC flyweight belt on the scale before facing Cristofer Rosales in April 2018. The 28-year-old slugger participated in the press conference remotely from his running camp in the mountains of the Nagano prefecture. 

“I am grateful to the champion and his team for taking this fight and glad that I am back here, finally, to challenge for the world title,” Higa said. “This fight won’t go the distance. I finish him or I get finished – both can happen.”

The September 3 event will open with a 10-round bout between Japanese 122-pound champion Toshiki Shimomachi and Ryuya Tsugawa, followed by an all-southpaw clash between Venezuelan veteran Ismael Barroso and Andy Hiraoka in a 12-round WBA title elimination bout. Also on the card, hard-hitting Jin Sasaki, who recently cracked The Ring’s welterweight rankings, will take on Qamil Balla of Australia in defense of his Oriental and Pacific and WBO Asian Pacific titles in a 12-round bout. 

“The prelims before the double world championship will sell well,” Ohashi proudly stated. “I believe this show could fill the Tokyo Dome.

The Inoue-Doheny event will be streamed live nationwide exclusively on Lemino of NTT Docomo, and will broadcast live on ESPN+ in the U.S. 

PRIZEFIGHTER

Matchroom Boxing’s international middleweight tournament, “Prizefighter,” kicked off on July 15 at the Yamato Arena of Yamato University in Suita City, Osaka. Monday shows are not unusual in Tokyo’s famous Korakuen Hall, but it’s rare to see those in other cities unless it’s a holiday. 

The arena, hosting a professional boxing event for the first time, drew roughly half of its official 4,800 capacity, but the fans were treated to good action from the eight competitors from the U.K., China, the U.S. and Japan in the four quarterfinal bouts of the tournament. The middleweights are fighting for the glamorous “prize” – $150,000 for the winner of each bout, $75,000 for losers, and a $100,000 incentive split between the KO/TKO finishers.

Britain’s Kieron Conway (21-3-1, 6 KOs), ranked No. 15 by the WBA, first secured his share of the KO bonus by stopping Ainiwaer Yilixiati (19-2, 14 KOs) of China in the seventh round of the opening bout. 

“The fight went exactly as planned,” said Conway, the most experienced participant, having dropped unbeaten world contender Souleymane Cissokho en route to suffering a split-decision loss in 2021. Conway utilized his long and constant jabs to dominate the Chinese aggressor from the first round. Conway connected with a good right uppercut and shots to the body against the persistent Yilixiati until the referee decided to halt the fight. 

“It’s been a good trip coming to Osaka,” said Conway. “People were really welcoming, warm and good to me and my team. I look forward to the next fight.”

Aaron McKenna (19-0, 10 KOs) stopped Jeovanny Estela (14-1, 5 KOs) at 2:06 in the 10th and final round in the second fight of the night. The Irish fighter used his long arms dexterously at short range, putting pressure on Estela and not allowing the U.S. fighter to use his speed and fluid footwork. McKenna, trained by his father, who visited Tokyo to compete in a karate tournament in 2000, showed his “Samurai Spirit” with constant combination punching, even in the final round, to earn the stoppage. 

“I am happy to be able to fight in Japan and I am influenced by the samurai spirit,” said McKenna, who was happy to display his aggressive attacking style to fans in a new country. 

Estela is a former junior middleweight who was fighting in his first middleweight bout and his first 10-round bout. He took a lot of damage before McKenna finally stopped him with a straight right hand while he was against the ropes, forcing the referee to call the fight.

In the third bout, hometown favorite Kazuto Takesako (17-2-1, 15 KOs) came out on top with a unanimous decision over Mark Dickinson (6-1, 2 KOs) after 10 hard rounds. Takesako took the lead when he landed a good left hook to the body of the undefeated Englishman in the second round. Dickinson was hurt but was able to hold on and weather the storm. But Takesako, who once collected Japan, Oriental and Pacific, and WBO Asian Pacific titles, kept pushing forward despite swelling to his face from Dickinson’s jabs and right uppercuts. The hard-hitting Japanese slugger deserved the victory by scores of 96-94, 97-93 and 98-92. 

“I am very grateful for the opportunity to fight back so soon,” said Takesako, who took this fight without hesitation after dropping a surprising decision to Tej Pratap Singh of Australia in Korea in May. “I am happy to give myself a big birthday gift. But I already feel like going back to the gym for the next fight.” Takesako turned 33 years old on fight day.

Another hometown fighter, Riku Kunimoto (12-1, 6 KOs), said he was “even more motivated to win” when he saw Takesako beat Dickinson to move forward to the semifinals. The final bout of the night was a direct rematch between Kunimoto and Eiki Kani. Four months ago, Kunimoto stopped Kani in six rounds to retain both Japan and WBO Asian Pacific titles. In the rematch, Kunimoto dominated Kani with heavy hands from the beginning. After he hurt Kani with a long right uppercut in the fourth frame, he pushed himself harder until the referee saved Kani (8-5-3, 4 KOs) from further damage at 1:06 of the fifth round. 

“I am glad to be here now to have the opportunity to finally take revenge on Takesako,” said Kunimoto, whose only pro loss is a first-round KO against Takesako in a showdown for the Japanese title in 2021. The rematch is set as one of the semifinals of “Prizefighter.”

When the Matchroom partnership with Rakuten Ticket and Never Say Never to promote boxing in Japan was officially announced last September, Matchroom CEO Frank Smith said the major goal of the project was “to bring quality international boxing events to Japan” and “to offer international experiences to younger local fighters.” 

Their first promotion is proving that they are carrying through on their intentions.

Fortunately, none of the winners of the first round were seriously injured, so Smith believes the semifinals of the tournament, including Conway vs. McKenna and Takesako vs. Kunimoto, will take place sometime in October as planned, somewhere in Japan.