CRUISERWEIGHT CHALLENGE: RYAN ROZICKI TELLS JAI OPETAIA TO "STAY GROUNDED" AFTER STRUGGLE
Ring No. 4 contender Ryan Rozicki calls out Jai Opetaia, warning the champion that overconfidence and fighting "weaker opponents" will lead to his downfall.
Ryan Rozicki's Message to Jai Opetaia: Stay Grounded
Jai Opetaia, the Ring and IBF champion, recently secured his fourth straight knockout victory by defeating Huseyin Cinkara in eight rounds. This win wraps up a busy year for Opetaia, during which he defended his title three times.
Ryan Rozicki, a Canadian contender, acknowledges Opetaia's achievements and his position as the top cruiserweight.
However, Rozicki, who is ranked No. 4 by The Ring, thinks he would be a much tougher opponent than those Opetaia has faced recently.
"From what I've seen, he's probably the best in the division," Rozicki told The Ring. If that fight comes my way, I'll definitely take it. He hasn't fought anyone like me. I've watched some of his fights, and he's been up against weaker opponents.
After watching Opetaia struggle early in his fight against Cinkara, Rozicki has a word of caution for him.
In my opinion, his opponent didn't look world-class, he said. He got hit and wobbled in the second round. If that were my right hand, he wouldn't have gotten up.
Opetaia's aggressive start allowed Cinkara to land a couple of right hands in the second round, which shook the champion. Opetaia expressed frustration after the fight, admitting his performance wasn't great. This may motivate him for 2026, especially given his disappointment with failed unification attempts.
It seems that overconfidence and a lack of real tests might be affecting Opetaia's recent performances, as seen when he was caught by David Nyika and even more so by Cinkara before pulling through.
Rozicki warns Opetaia to stay grounded.
"Don't believe everything you hear about yourself," he said. Be careful about what your team tells you, because you might think you're invincible, but you're probably not.
Rozicki's promoter, Daniel Otter of The Lions Promotions, is also interested in setting up a fight between Rozicki and Opetaia.
"Jai keeps saying people are avoiding him," Otter said. I think people have been avoiding Ryan, too, so if Jai is serious, Ryan is ready to fight him.
MANNY PACQUIAO BELIEVES HIS ELITE SPEED WOULD HAVE EASILY DISMANTLED ERROL SPENCE JR.
Manny Pacquiao reveals why he would have "easily beaten" Errol Spence Jr. and shares the secret to his 8-division success.
Manny Pacquiao didn’t need much time to give his take on a fantasy matchup with Errol Spence Jr. If their rumoured 2021 fight actually happened, Pacquiao says he knows how it would have played out.
Back then, Spence was already a big deal. He was a unified welterweight champ, a local hero in Texas, and he’d built up hype with Dallas Cowboys players and musicians. Undefeated, 27 wins with 21 knockouts. His star was on the rise in the US, and Pacquiao was the perfect name to take him to that next level, just like when Pacquiao beat Oscar de la Hoya and launched his own pay-per-view takeover.
But Pacquiao saw things differently. “I wanted to fight him because I know I can easily beat him,” he told ‘Inside The Ring’ on DAZN.
At that point, Pacquiao had fought 71 times. He’d done it all. Titles, wars, all of it. But he was quick to say he wouldn’t be the ageing de la Hoya in this story.
If he had beaten Spence, it would have been thanks to his speed. “It’s not about strength or how strong the punch is. It’s about skills and abilities in the ring and how you move. That’s boxing. That’s the secret to being an eight-division champion,” Pacquiao explained.
In reality, Pacquiao ended up fighting Yordenis Ugas instead, and it didn’t go well. He lost badly. Fans saw him days later, face swollen shut, being spoon-fed by his wife, Jinkee. After almost four years out, he came back in 2025 and nearly beat Mario Barrios, settling for a controversial majority draw.
Spence, on the other hand, bounced back to beat Ugas with a 10th-round stoppage but got knocked out by Terence Crawford in the ninth round in 2023. He hasn’t fought since, but he keeps getting linked to a summer fight with Tim Tszyu.
Last we heard, Spence was still undecided. He says he’ll only return if the right fight comes along.
WHY DID OLEKSANDR USYK STOP WATCHING FURY VS MAKHMUDOV DURING THE SIXTH ROUND?
Oleksandr Usyk ignores Tyson Fury’s win to pray, while Anthony Joshua brands Fury a "clout-chaser" in a ringside row.
Oleksandr Usyk didn’t bother finishing Tyson Fury’s fight with Arslanbek Makhmudov on Saturday. After six rounds, he switched off the TV and went to pray. He’s not thinking about fighting Fury again anytime soon either.
Fury stepped back into the ring after a year away, squaring up with Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The fight went the full twelve rounds, and Fury took home a unanimous decision win. It streamed live on Netflix, so fans everywhere got to watch.
But Usyk caught half the fight before leaving. He told the Mail, “I got a bunch of messages like, ‘Did you see my friend winning?’ I said, ‘Yeah, great,’ but honestly, I only watched the first six rounds. Then I left for church to pray. In rounds three and four, I got a little worried Makhmudov started landing, and I thought, ‘Come on, keep your hands up.’”
As for facing Fury for a third time, Usyk shot down the idea. After beating Fury twice in 2024, he’s ready to move on. “My plan’s the same. I’ve got three fights lined up, I know what I want. If Fury fits in, fine, but things are more complicated now.”
Back in May 2024, Fury put his WBC heavyweight belt on the line, dreaming of undisputed glory, while Usyk brought his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO titles. Usyk edged out Fury on a split decision. They ran it back in December, and it wasn’t as close Usyk dominated and hit a clean 23-0 record with another unanimous points victory.
Next, Usyk is set to face Rico Verhoeven, the Glory heavyweight kickboxing champ, on May 23 at the Pyramids of Giza. Not your average boxing event.
Meanwhile, Fury wasted no time calling out Anthony Joshua, who was ringside for his win over Makhmudov. Fury wanted to make the fight happen right then and there, but Joshua didn’t commit. That annoyed fans in the stadium and at home.
Joshua’s response? He wasn’t impressed. “Tyson, you’re clout-chasing,” he shot back. “I’ve never had a problem getting in the ring with you. I punched you up when we were kids, and after watching you tonight, I’ll do it again. You don’t tell me what to do.”
He doubled down. “I’ve been chasing you for ten years. When you’re ready, come see me. I’m the boss you work for me. I’m the landlord, remember that.”
