Jai Opetaia Survives Scare, Stops Huseyin Cinkara in Eight to Keep Cruiserweight Ambitions Alive

A Rocky Start and a Course Correction

Jai Opetaia (29-0, 23 KOs) began aggressively, smashing jabs to the body and firing his signature overhand lefts. But his intensity opened the door for Cinkara in Round 2, when two clean right hands rattled the champion and brought the crowd to its feet. The challenger continued to land sporadically, leaving visible swelling under Opetaia’s right eye.

The Australian star responded by upping his pace, forcing Cinkara backwards for nearly every second of the first four rounds. By the end of Round 4, the German was breathing through his mouth and trudging back to his corner on unsteady legs.

Rounds 5 and 6 were all Opetaia, as he hammered the body and head with left hands that began to break down the challenger’s foundation.

By the seventh, Cinkara was exhausted. He stumbled out for Round 8 — and seconds later, it was over.

Opetaia feinted low with a jab to the body, then slipped a left hand over the top that detonated on Cinkara’s chin, sending him collapsing into the bottom rope for the full count.

 Despite the knockout, Jai Opetaia was brutally self-critical afterward.

“I’m very disappointed in myself. I feel like I’ve let some people down with that performance,” he said. “He came to fight, he boxed well. Hopefully that bad performance brings these other guys out to take a fight.”

The champion emphasized his hunger for unification.

“We want unification fights Zurdo, I’m chasing belts. I’ve been asking for them for a long time.”

“We’re gonna go back to the gym and sharpen up.”