Jai Opetaia’s team threw cold water on the fiery whispers that he floored Tyson Fury in a recent sparring session. This sparring session went down last week, where Opetaia, the cruiserweight king, waved goodbye to Fury’s camp after a mere five rounds of duking it out.
Fury, the colossus of the heavyweight ring, is gearing up for a showdown with Oleksandr Usyk on February 17th. This clash in Riyadh could crown the first undisputed heavyweight champ in nearly a quarter-century.
In the Saudi sands, Fury’s been sharpening his fists, with Opetaia stepping in as the southpaw sparring partner.
Ben Damon, the voice of Fox Australia, spilled the beans this past Sunday (January 21st): “After trading leather with Tyson Fury over five rounds in Saudi Arabia, Opetaia’s skipping back to Australia. The lack of traditional sparring partners in Fury’s corner nudged him home to prep for his dance with Mairis Briedis at #FuryUsyk.”
Jai Opetaia did five rounds of sparring with Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia but with a lack of orthodox sparring in Fury’s camp Opetaia has now returned to Australia to continue his own preparations for the planned Mairis Briedis rematch at #FuryUsyk
— Ben Damon (@ben_damon) January 22, 2024
Damon then squashed the rumors of 28-year-old Opetaia sending 35-year-old Fury to the canvas, and Opetaia’s co-promoters, Tasman Fighters, chimed in too.
Their statement read:
Latest on World Cruiserweight champion @jaiopetaia1 … pic.twitter.com/iofuDrQd1G
— Tasman Fighters (@tasmanfighters) January 22, 2024
Australia’s own Opetaia is expected to square off with Briedis, the man he outmaneuvered last year, for the vacant cruiserweight IBF strap. This scrap is set to unfold under the looming shadow of the Fury vs Usyk bout. Opetaia, previously the IBF titleholder, was stripped of his belt in December for choosing to slug it out with Ellis Zorro instead of Briedis on the Joshua vs Wallin undercard.