Barry McGuigan believes Jai Opetaia will defeat Deontay Wilder when the pair meet on the undercard of the Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury superfight in Cardiff next month. The former world champion sees the Australian cruiserweight making a statement at heavyweight.
Opetaia's Heavyweight Debut
Opetaia faces Wilder in his first fight at heavyweight after dominating at cruiserweight. He signed with Zuffa in January, and this bout represents the full Netflix projection among the headliners on a massive show. Zuffa view Opetaia as the next Oleksandr Usyk or Evander Holyfield, making a genuine splash at heavyweight.
Opetaia is a fine all-rounder with good timing, fast hands, the ability to punch and a solid chin. Of his 31 wins, 24 have come by knockout. McGuigan notes that if Opetaia were fighting 50 years ago in the era of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, he would have been a genuine heavyweight.
Wilder's Decline
At 6ft 2ins and in his prime, Opetaia's plan would be to score a spectacular knockout against Wilder and enter the heavyweight scene as a new star. At 41, Wilder is far more fragile than he has ever been, making the timing perfect for Opetaia.
Wilder has been stopped three times in four defeats and carries a lot of wear and tear. His ability to take a shot has gone, which is dangerous territory against a quick, hard-punching opponent looking to make an impact. Though Wilder has bulked to 230-plus pounds, he more commonly rounds out below 220, which is probably Opetaia's walking-around weight.
McGuigan's Prediction
Opetaia is giving away height and reach, but McGuigan says that will not concern him at this stage of Wilder's career. He expects Opetaia to claim the centre of the ring and beat Wilder to the punch behind a snappy jab.
McGuigan believes it will not take brute force to get the job done, only finding the target and hitting Wilder with authority. Technically, Wilder was always suspect and relied on his incredible knockout power from distance. He struggles against opponents who bring variety, having been behind on all three cards against Luiz Ortiz in their rematch before the equalizer landed.
In the first fight with Tyson Fury, Wilder had him down in the ninth and 12th rounds but could only draw. He was taken apart in the rematch and stopped in the trilogy bout. He has never been the same since, losing to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang. McGuigan is not sure a split-decision win over Dereck Chisora last time out is much of a reference.
If Opetaia does not get Wilder out early, probably in the first three rounds, McGuigan expects him to methodically break the American down and end the fight before the championship rounds.
