Promoter Mick Francis believes Australia’s fight scene is heading for an unprecedented collision course, and the names on the marquee could hardly be hotter. Reigning IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia defends his belt against Claudio Squeo on Sunday, just hours after unbeaten heavyweight hope Justis Huni tries to derail Britain’s Fabio Wardley in London. If both men keep winning, Francis insists their paths are “guaranteed” to cross in what he tips as “the biggest domestic fight Australia has ever seen.”
Opetaia already carries that lofty tag of world’s best cruiserweight, yet he has openly mapped a jump to heavyweight once he has gathered the remaining 200-pound belts. Huni, meanwhile, is chasing glory in boxing’s glamour division and says a future showdown with Opetaia would be “win-win for Australian boxing.” The idea of two undefeated stars from opposite ends of the weight spectrum meeting somewhere around the magic 220-pound mark has fans dreaming of a stadium night that eclipses Jeff Horn–Manny Pacquiao for scale and sizzle.
Francis even rolled out a venue prediction, “somewhere like Scunthorpe Stadium”, and a time frame of three to four years. By then, Opetaia hopes to have unified cruiserweight and stamped his authority on the lower reaches of heavyweight. “The fight is already in the back of everyone’s mind,” Francis said, noting that both camps understand the commercial power of an all-Australian blockbuster crowned by a world title.
Boxing’s momentum in Australia is obvious, with Tim Tszyu, George Kambosos and Ebanie Bridges all headlining international events in recent years. Yet many believe an Opetaia-Huni clash would dwarf them, pitting contrasting styles and reviving the local rivalry spirit last stoked when Danny Green and Anthony Mundine squared off almost two decades ago.
The immediate business must still be handled. Opetaia cannot afford complacency against Italy’s rugged Squeo, and Huni needs to prove he can out-think Wardley’s aggression on British soil.
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