Jai Opetaia made a Hollywood entrance with his cruiserweight titles slung over his shoulders for today’s Pacific Championships rugby league match at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia.
Surrounded by dancers, displaying Samoan Pacific Island style, Opetaia (28-0, 22 KOs) marched out onto the field.
Hollywood Entrance, Club-Level Opponent
Fans on social media were less than kind toward Jai, pointing out that he was putting on a great display, looking like a proud peacock with his straps, only to defend them against “another bum” in his next fight on December 6, 2025, against 40-year-old Huseyin Cinkara.
Incredible scenes in Brisbane 😮💨 @jaiopetaia1
Some half-time show 🔥 #OpetaiaCinkara pic.twitter.com/gVRK9USaqY
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) October 26, 2025
Fans view Cinkara (23-0, 19 KOs) as another example of the type of weak opponents that Opetaia has been fighting. They want to see him show true warrior courage by fighting the top names at cruiserweight, like Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez, or by facing light heavyweight David Benavidez, or by moving up to heavyweight.
Wasting Prime Years
At 30, Opetaia’s career is at a standstill, as he’s failing to progress due to the no-name opposition he’s been facing one after another since his unimpressive, safety-first performance in his rematch with Mairis Briedis on May 18, 2024. He won that fight by a 12-round unanimous decision over then 39-year-old Briedis.
Jai wants to complete his goal of becoming the undisputed cruiserweight champion. He’s not making any headway with his attempts at doing that, as the other champions have shown little interest in fighting him. Instead of reading the writing on the wall and understanding that there are no opportunities for advancement, Opetaia has stubbornly chosen to stay at cruiserweight. He’s aging and wasting his career.
Pigheaded, Proud, and Going Nowhere
When asked about moving up, Opetaia says he’ll do it, “when I say it’s ready, not when people want to throw it in my face.” That comment is a perfect example of Jai’s pigheadedness in choosing to stay stuck, stultified, and wasting.
Opetaia will defend against Cinkara on December 6, 2025, at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, Broadbeach. The event will be broadcast live on DAZN.
Last Updated on 10/26/2025
