Above: Just like in their first fight, Jai Opetaia (right) had to fend off a late surge from Mairis Briedis in the rematch. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

By Anthony Cocks

Jai Opetaia remains champ with decision win over Mairis Briedis

Ring Magazine cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia (25-0, 19 KOs) once again proved he is the class of the division with a unanimous decision win over No. 1 contender Mairis Briedis 28-3 (20 KOs) in their rematch at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 18.

Boxing in the main support bout to the heavyweight showdown between now-undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury, the 28-year-old Australian was largely in control of the fight until late in the 10th round when he had his nose busted from an accidental head clash. Latvian veteran Briedis, 39, who had his own nose broken during the middle rounds, jumped on Opetaia but couldn’t close the show. It was an echo of their first bout in July 2022, when Opetaia’s mandible was cracked on both sides and he had to gut through a championship-rounds rally from Briedis to snag the unanimous decision win.

This time, two judges again scored the bout 116-112, but the third was more definitive at 117-111 – all for Opetaia, who regained the IBF title.

“He’s a tough dude. He kept coming forward. He wanted it; I could hear it. I could hear the pain in his fucking punches,” Opetaia said in the ring after the fight.

“We knew we were in for a tough fight. We were ready for 12 rounds of war and that’s what we got.

“We stayed smart, kept boxing and won the fight.”

Mixed results for Aussie boxers in high-profile international bouts

May turned out to be a tough month to be a Moloney fan.

Bantamweight Jason Moloney (27-3, 19 KOs) traveled to Japan for the second defense of his WBC belt only to be upset by former kickboxing world champion Yoshiki Takei (9-0, 8 KOs) on the massive show at the Tokyo Dome on May 6.

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

Southpaw Takei, 27, boxed a clever fight and controlled much of the action. The 33-year-old Moloney finished the bout strongly, but it was too little, too late. He lost by scores of 111-116 twice and 110-117, pushing him down to No. 6 in The Ring’s rankings while Takei entered at No. 4.

Jason’s twin brother, Andrew Moloney (26-4, 16 KOs), also came up short in his fight against Pedro Guevara (42-4-1, 22 KOs) in their junior bantamweight bout at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia, on May 12.

Moloney controlled much of the fight through the first six rounds, but Mexico’s Guevara, 34, found his rhythm in the back half of the bout. Guevara eked out the win via split decision with scores of 115-113 (twice) and 113-116.

Moloney, who entered the bout with a torn left biceps tendon, was devastated by the result and announced his immediate retirement in the ring after the fight. He then reneged four days later, declaring that he wants to rematch Guevara once he has recovered from surgery to mend his injured arm. Moloney is The Ring’s No. 6-ranked contender while Guevara sits one spot ahead at No. 5.

Former WBA, WBO, IBF and Ring Magazine lightweight champion George “Ferocious” Kambosos Jr (21-3, 10 KOs) didn’t fare any better in his bid for the vacant IBF 135-pound title against former three-weight titleholder and two-time Olympic gold medalist Vasiliy Lomachenko (18-3, 11 KOs) in the main event.

Sydney’s Kambosos, 30, was thoroughly outclassed by the 36-year-old Ukrainian southpaw, who boxed circles around him all afternoon. Lomachenko increased the pressure with each out and found the opening he was looking for in the 11th, burying his left hand deep into Kambosos’ midriff and sending him to the canvas.

The local hero beat the count but was soon on the deck again from Lomachenko’s follow-up assault, prompting his corner to throw in the towel just as referee Katsuhiko Nakamura waved off the bout at 2:49 of the penultimate round. Lomachenko, who The Ring ranks as the No. 1 contender for the vacant 135-pound crown, was leading 98-92 and 99-91 twice at the time of the stoppage.

But never fear, female boxers Cherneka “Sugar Neekz” Johnson (16-2, 6 KOs) and Skye Nicolson (10-0, 1 KO) proudly flew the flag for Australia on the big stage.

Southpaw Nicolson, 28, was the first to get the chocolates when she pitched a virtual shutout against Denmark’s Sarah Mahfoud (14-2, 3 KOs) to claim the vacant WBC featherweight title at Fontainebleau Las Vegas on April 6. The scores were 100-90 twice and 99-91. Nicholson is now ranked No. 1 by The Ring, behind only the champion, Amanda Serrano (46-2-1, 30 KOs), of Puerto Rico.

New Zealand-born Australian Johnson, 29, had her own moment of glory when she edged out England’s Nina Hughes (6-1, 2 KOs) to lift the WBA bantamweight title via majority decision on the Lomachenko-Kambosos undercard. 

Despite the shambolic reading of the scorecards by ring announcer Lt. Dan Hennessey, Johnson was a deserved victor by scores of 96-94, 98-92 and 95-95. The win sees Johnson slot in as the No. 2 contender to The Ring’s 118-pound champion, Dina Thorslund (21-0, 9 KOs), of Denmark.

Tim Tszyu teams up with his dad to prepare for Vergil Ortiz Jr.

In what promises to be an exciting matchup, Ring No. 2-ranked junior middleweight contender Tim Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) will meet undefeated precision puncher Vergil Ortiz Jr (21-0, 21 KOs) at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on August 3.

Sydneysider Tszyu, 29, is already in camp in Phuket, Thailand, putting in work with his father, former undisputed junior welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011.

The younger Tszyu still has a chip on his shoulder after losing his WBO strap to six-foot-six southpaw Sebastian Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) by split decision in March. An accidental elbow opened up a nasty gash on Tszyu’s scalp in the second round that poured blood into his eyes throughout the fight. 

Tszyu will be out to prove that the loss was an anomaly against the 26-year-old Ortiz, who has already scored two first-round knockouts this year after almost 18 months on the sidelines due to illness and injury.

Liam Paro lands world title shot abroad

There was a time not so long ago when junior welterweight contender Liam “The Prodigy” Paro (24-0, 15 KOs) was considered Australia’s next great hope to win a world title. A series of unfortunate injuries stalled his career, and Opetaia beat him to the punch. The 28-year-old Brisbane-based southpaw will now get the chance to prove he is as good as advertised when he challenges IBF 140-pound beltholder Subriel Matias (20-1, 20 KOs) at the Coliseo Juan Aubin Cruz Abreu in Manati, Puerto Rico, on June 15. 

It’s a tough ask, but Paro appears undaunted by the prospect of facing the titleholder in his home country and is no doubt buoyed by his explosive sixth-round knockout win over Montana Love (18-2-1, 9 KOs) in San Francisco this past December. The heavy-handed Matias is ranked No. 3 by The Ring, while Paro is currently unrated.

By Yuriko Miyata

Naoya Inoue’s up-from-the-canvas stoppage of Luis Nery at the Tokyo Dome on May 6 was as dramatic as the world’s boxing media has already reported. More than 43,000 Japanese fans were lucky to witness it and soak up the vibrations. It was a sold-out crowd as the stadium was configured, but while there was the potential to include 55,000 fans, surpassing the 51,600 in attendance for the Mike Tyson-James “Buster” Douglas shocker on February 11, 1990, Inoue’s promoter Hideyuki Ohashi revealed during the fight week that he decided to set the seating at 40,000 to ensure a good view for all who attended. 

“I just wanted everyone there to enjoy the fights,” Ohashi said. “So, I thought it’s better to close some sections [where there was a] bad view. And to be honest with you, I could not be so sure about selling some 50,000 seats for a boxing show headlined by a Japanese national. It was a totally new challenge for me.”

The Tokyo Dome might be the only venue in Japan big enough to host The Monster these days. (Photo by Naoki Fukuda)

Mr. Ohashi is among the few who really know how big Tokyo Dome is for boxing. He was there at ringside the night of Tyson-Douglas as Japan’s newest world champion. Ohashi ended an infamous national drought of 21 consecutive world title bout losses when he dropped South Korea’s Jum Hwan Choi twice with his signature left hooks to the body in the ninth round to snatch the WBC 105-pound belt in front of an overloaded audience of 3,500 at the Korakuen Hall, right next door to the Dome, just four days before Douglas upset Tyson. 

“I was there as a world champion, but I was kind of shocked by the magnitude of heavyweight boxing,” Ohashi recalled. “It was a totally different world from what I, fighting in the lightest weight division, was familiar with. I told reporters there that I would defend my belt multiple times to be big enough to fight here someday. It was [a bridge] too far for me, but 34 years later, Naoya Inoue made this happen.”  

Ohashi booked the date at the baseball stadium where he assumed only heavyweights could headline after seeing 100,000-plus apply for the tickets to Inoue’s challenge to Steven Fulton last summer. While he was arranging for four world title bouts, plus reserving TJ Doheny on the undercard in case Nery failed a drug test or weighed in over the junior featherweight limit, he never felt comfortable. The promoter said he was relieved when 80 percent of the participants made weight and were ready to fight. His remaining concern was about the venue. When the weigh-in and glove selections were concluded, one of Japan’s major baseball rivalries – the Tokyo Giants versus the Hanshin Tigers – took place at the stadium. Even though it was a day game, any accident or overtime could push the tight schedule to turn the field into a boxing setting. 

“I had been nervous during the whole process, right up to fight day,” Ohashi said during the post-fight press conference at his gym in Yokohama on May 7. “I was so tired already that I would have preferred watching fights on Prime Video at home than actually watching my fighters live. Watching from the corner was [so stressful it felt] life-shortening. But I am sure that everyone enjoyed it.” 

Ohashi announced that his event hit the highest peak view  in Prime Video history, passing the mark held by the finals of the 2023 World Baseball Classic, during the next-day presser.

“That proves the power of boxing,” he said. “Baseball and soccer are more popular generally, but the excitement in boxing is more explosive. People know that. I thought I would like to take a rest and stay away from boxing for a while, as I just survived all the stress and pressure, but actually I woke up motivated for what’s next. May 6 at Tokyo Dome is no longer a goal, but a start to make boxing better in Japan. I will work harder with younger promoters to bring more world-class stars from Korakuen Hall.”

***

Newly crowned WBC bantamweight beltholder Junto Nakatani posted “I’m very much inspired” on his X account from ringside at the Tokyo Dome. The three-division titleholder recently cracked The Ring’s pound-for-pound rankings at No. 10. It was one of the goals for Nakatani to be recognized in the magazine’s honorable ratings after seeing Inoue climb to the top of it. 

“Actually, a close friend and newspaper reporter let me know that I was in the Ring’s pound-for-pound,” said Nakatani. “I was glad to learn of it, because that’s always been my dream. But I was a little surprised because I thought I would make the top 10 only if I did something really big like unifying titles. 

“Now that I’m at No. 10, I feel that I still have a long way to go. I will work harder and raise my position there.”

Nakatani stopped Alexandro Santiago in his most recent fight.

The 26-years-old southpaw is aware of fans’ rising expectation for a dream fight vs. Inoue. 

“I’m excited that people see the matchup as worth seeing,” he said. 

Veteran coach Rudy Hernandez, who calls South Los Angeles home, has trained Nakatani since he was a 15-year-old amateur. The old-school trainer is one of the earliest followers of The Monster, who he’s called “special” since Inoue stopped Omar Narvaez in 2014. 

“He is a fighter who makes adjustments,” Hernandez said of Inoue. “He has the best timing. He can pay attention and read fighters – how they do and what they do – then he executes. 

“Junto won’t fight him soon, even if people ask.” 

However, Hernandez has a clear vision of what he wants Nakatani to do next (even though he does not want to go on the record yet). Nakatani is willing to talk about it a little bit.

“I think it was around the end of last year when [Rudy] started talking about bits and pieces of his plan for the eventual fight against Naoya,” said Nakatani. “Before, he kept telling me not to spar with him. So, I used to spar with his brother Takuma but never with Naoya. I am happy that Rudy, who I’ve always trusted, sees that I am getting ready for that challenge. He and I were happy with my performance against Alexandro Santiago in February. What I have to do is to keep improving and carry out the plan. Naoya Inoue is certainly the most popular active Japanese boxer and a fighter who I will need to fight someday to define my boxing career.”

***

After two surprising world title victories in the month of May – Ryosuke Nishida’s unanimous decision over Emmanuel Rodriguez for the IBF belt and Yoshiki Takei’s unanimous decision over Jason Moloney for the WBO strap – all four major bantamweight titles are now held by Japanese fighters. (Takuma Inoue defended the WBA 118-pound title on the Inoue-Nery undercard.)

Nakatani smiles confidently before stating that he is “open to any offer” from any of his countrymen. He understands that making unification fights is not easy and that moving up in weight is always an option.　

The Ring’s No. 1-rated bantamweight is as motivated and  disciplined as he was the day he started boxing at the age of 12, three years before finding Hernandez in Los Angeles. He is a gym rat. Even as his schedule has become busy with TV commentary gigs or guest appearances at events, he never forgets to secure time for daily workouts. His personal manager, brother Ryuto Nakatani, says that his older brother (by two years) is happy as long as he can go to the gym. There is no secret or shortcut for him to be a better boxer. He joined Hernandez in Los Angeles on May 23 for the start of an intensive camp to prepare for his next fight, which will be announced shortly.

***

Mr. Masashi Sugibayashi – the third generation and current president of Winning, the famous brand of Japan-made boxing equipment – is one of the insiders who witnessed all three times the Tokyo Dome has hosted boxing. His memory is fresh of the time Mike Tyson first landed in Tokyo in early 1988 for an undisputed heavyweight title defense against Tony Tubbs. Sugibayashi was preparing for his first year of high school, and his daily mission was to refuel the heater that warmed Tyson’s special gym next to the Dome in the early mornings. He remembers that he had to skip taking measurements for his new school uniform (school year starts in April in Japan) to be in the venue on the fight day, as it started at noon. 

James “Buster” Douglas and Mike Tyson battle beneath the Tokyo Dome. (Photo by Takeo Tanuma /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

Winning is known for assembling the boxing rings for many major fight cards nationwide, including the three times at Tokyo Dome. Mr. Sugibayashi told The Ring an interesting story. The ring that was used for both of Tyson’s Tokyo dome fights was borrowed and carried from a suburban high school, as Winning did not yet have their own sets at that time. Some men worked to assemble it and put canvas with painted advertising logos of Suntory all over the surface, which was designed for innovative camera work from straight above. After Tyson’s second fight at the Dome (vs. Douglas), Winning decided to purchase a ring set. 

“We discussed that we’d better have it for such occasions. It’s a history of our own ring, which we carry in to be used in numerous fight sites,” Mr. Sugibayashi said.

So, it was the company’s first time to set up their own ring, instead of borrowing one, in the center of the field of the stadium on May 6, where a traditional Giants vs. Tigers rivalry took place the day before fight day. Though it was a day game, the Giants had the right to use the stadium until 9 p.m. Winning agreed in the advanced meeting that the ring setup started at 7 a.m. in the morning of the fight day. The 15-member crew were good at their craft and there was no trouble with it. “Bring the parts into the field, assemble them, put up the canvas and ropes. One hour and a half is enough for us to get done with it as usual,” Mr. Sugibayashi proudly said. 

The ring, which hosted five fights that night, sat around the second base and shined under the white lights. The whole setting of the venue, which was transformed from a ballpark very quickly but carefully, was beautiful. Thanks to all the experts’ efforts, another historic boxing day was made.

By Droeks Malan

The untimely passing of Dingaan Thobela at the age of 57 after a short spate of illness rocked the South African boxing fraternity. Thobela was a local legend who held the WBO and WBA lightweight belts, as well as the WBC super middleweight title, in a career that spanned from 1986 to 2006.

Dingaan Thobela with Ring correspondent Droeks Malan. (Photo courtesy of Droeks Malan)

Affectionately known as “The Rose of Soweto,” he will be remembered for his victories over Tony Lopez and Glenn Catley, the latter in dramatic come-from-behind fashion. A stylist with dynamite in his fists, Thobela transcended sports and at his peak was a national celebrity. He had a natural charisma and fighting style that appealed to South Africans across cultural divides.

Outside the ring, he was always approachable and one of the nicest human beings one could hope to meet. He will be sorely missed.

Will the country ever see another fighter take hold of the national psyche like Thobela and a handful of others did in the past?

South African boxing no doubt has talent, but it is no secret that the beleaguered sport has seen much better days in the past. IBF 108-pound champion Sivenathi Nontshinga stands alone as the country’s only major world titleholder.

Kevin Lerena undoubtedly has charisma, but he must rebuild after suffering a points loss to Justis Huni. Unfortunately, he is trapped in the Bridgerweight no man’s land between cruiserweight and heavyweight. It will be a hard task for him to thrive in a division that the boxing world does not seem to want.

Junior welterweight Xolisani Ndongeni put up a very respectable showing in a losing effort against undefeated Raymond Muratalla in March. At the time of writing, he’d gotten back in the win column against a lesser opponent, but it is clear he is now an international gatekeeper.

Sivenathi Nontshinga (right) avenged his knockout loss to Adrian Curiel by returning the favor in an immediate rematch. (Photo by Melina Pizano/Matchroom)

Welterweight Thulani Mbenge came just short against Souleymane Cissokho in 2022, but after taking 2023 off he had an impressive outing in his last fight, winning a barnburner against Leandro Ariel Fonseca. Perhaps he could finally get over the hump if he can get another opportunity on a big stage.

Featherweight Lerato Dlamini, fresh off an upset over Tomoki Kameda in Japan, has been ordered by the IBF to fight Arnold Khegai in an eliminator, so there is that.

There are also a slew of talented lower-weight fighters riding in Nontshinga’s wake.

Flyweight Jackson Chauke just won’t go away, even at the age of 38, and opened the year by scoring a scintillating victory over Kaisy Khademi in the U.K. He needs a shot at something big, sooner rather than later.

The 115-pounders are making strides with Ricardo Malajika, Sikho Nqothole, Phumelele Cafu and Yanga Sigqibo all showing promise on the international stage.

Ricardo Malajika (right) vs. Kevin Munoz in September 2023. (Photo by James Gradidge)

Malajika is in fine form and turned in a career-best performance against British and Commonwealth champion Marcel Braithwaite in his last fight. He befuddled the Brit to win every round.

Nqothole, who gave Malajika his last defeat, was off to Mexico at the time of writing to face undefeated Rene Calixto Bibiano.

Speedster Cafu just needs a shot at a big name so we can find out how good he really is.

Sigqibo, who got back in the win column last year, can draw solace from the fact that he was competitive in a distance loss to the current WBO beltholder Kosei Tanaka.

Fans have taken a liking to Roarke Knapp. (Photo by James Gradidge/Gallo Images)

Still, unfair as it may be, it is extremely difficult to get the general sporting public excited about the small warriors.

However, at junior middleweight there is Roarke Knapp, who has the exciting in-ring style coupled with the out-of-the-ring charisma that may just light up the stage. The 17-1-1 (12 knockouts) Knapp has a habit of getting the crowd out of their seats, whether he is dragging himself off the canvas to stop his opponent or boxing in cruise control. A hand injury that required surgery put a stop to a scheduled bout against Josh Kelly in the U.K. last year, but he is scheduled to make his much-anticipated return to the ring on June 15 at the time of writing. 

On top of that, the division also hosts his stablemate, the 13-0 (9 KOs) Shervantaigh Koopman, who will fight on the same card.

True to his nickname, “SK,” which stands for “Silent Killer,” Koopman is not the personality outside the ring that Knapp is, but that all changes once he steps inside the ropes. A speedy boxer-puncher, he has yet to disappoint and has shown marked improvement as the level of his opposition gradually increases.

There is already a debate as to who really is the country’s best 154-pounder, but a local superfight between the two, who spar regularly, is not on the cards.

Whether either will come close to the heights Thobela reached is yet to be seen, but perhaps they could be just what is needed to capture the public imagination…