Jai Opetaia doesn’t have a belt anymore, but he’s not relinquishing his claim to be the best cruiserweight in the world.
At the Day of Reckoning event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, Opetaia (24-0, 19 KOs) made short work of Ellis Zorro (17-1, 7 KOs) with a power lef- hand knockout that left Zorro flat on the mat.
Watch the incredible finish below.
— Boxing Fanatic (@boxingfanatic00) December 23, 2023
Opetaia vacated his IBF cruiserweight title earlier this week due to a disagreement with the sanctioning body (the IBF wanted Opetaia to face Mairis Briedis, not Zorro), but that didn’t stop him from making a statement on Saturday as he had Zorro on the defensive from the opening bell.
Zorro did his best to be evasive, only to be caught by a looping left from Opetaia that immediately sent him crashing to the canvas. The referee issued the standard count, but it was clear that Zorro was not getting back up.
The official time of the stoppage was 2:56 into Round 1.
Opetaia remains undefeated at 24-0 and a cruiserweight title fight likely lies ahead next for the 28-year-old Australian.