In a disappointing turn of events, Australian champion Jai Opetaia will not be defending his title against Mateusz Masternak, as the Polish boxer has refused to fight. Opetaia, who claimed the International Boxing Federation (IBF) world title last year, has been unable to fight due to injuries he sustained after the bout.
The IBF initially postponed the fight with Masternak when Opetaia was granted a 60-day medical extension to recover from shoulder surgery earlier this year. However, the exemption expired on June 1, leading the sanctioning body to call for purse bids. Unfortunately, Masternak pulled out of the fight altogether.
Opetaia expressed his frustration with Masternak on social media and called for a unification fight with new WBO champion Chris Billam-Smith. Opetaia criticized Masternak, saying, “What a waste of time. He used to be a good fighter, now he’s a has-been. If you don’t want the smoke, why waste the last few months talking shit?”
In a surprising twist, it is now reported that Billam-Smith will defend his belt against Masternak, while the IBF is set to name Richard Riakporhe as Opetaia’s new mandatory challenger.
Opetaia has been out of the ring since his victory over Mairis Breidis and has faced both external troubles and injuries that have prevented him from defending his title.
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Hasibur Rahaman is a passionate sports journalist. He covers everything from cricket to field hockey, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis of sporting events, both within India and on the international stage.
Denial of responsibility! Samachar Central is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
