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Aussie wins back belt in Saudi slugfest as Usyk beats Fury
By Murray Wenzel
Jai Opetaia has hung tough to restore Australian boxing order and reclaim his world title in a bloody rematch with Mairis Briedis.
The Australian won a fluctuating contest for the IBF cruiserweight title on the Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk undercard in Saudi Arabia on Sunday morning (AEST).
A unanimous points decision (117-111, 116-112, 116-112) took a turn in the 10th round when Briedis, in his first fight since their first encounter nearly two years ago, accidentally headbutted Opetaia’s nose and launched a late rally.
The 39-year-old Latvian found his range to have Opetaia on the ropes in the final two rounds.
But the Australian’s early dominance made it an easy night for the judges as he became the country’s only current male world boxing champion.
Opetaia reclaimed the belt he took off Briedis in 2022 but was forced to give up earlier this year, when he fought Ellis Zorro in Saudi Arabia against the organisation’s wishes.
Jai Opetaia punches Mairis Briedis during the IBF World Cruiserweight title fight.Credit: Getty
The Gold Coast-based 28-year-old’s victory snapped a run of recent title-fight losses by Australian quartet Tim Tszyu, George Kambosos Jnr and Moloney twins Jason and Andrew.
With Cristiano Ronaldo among the celebrities in the front row, Opetaia was in cruise control in the first half of the fight.
In the sixth round he rattled Briedis with a short left hook then a straight left that appeared to break his nose.
The tough Latvian dropped to 28-3, his only losses by points decisions to Opetaia twice and Usyk.
Earlier, Queensland-based New Zealand Olympic bronze medallist David Nyika improved to 9-0 with a business-like stoppage of previously undefeated German Michael Seitz.
Cruiserweight Nyika pounded the body of his opponent, who eventually succumbed in the fourth round.
In the main event, Usyk scored a razor-thin split decision over Fury in a thrilling contest to become undisputed heavyweight boxing world champion.
Dwarfed by his enormous opponent, Usyk had to weather a storm in the middle of the fight but he came roaring back, forcing Fury to take a standing count in the ninth round as he blazed his way to victory.
The 37-year-old Ukrainian is the first boxer to hold all four major heavyweight belts at the same time and the first undisputed champ since the end of Lennox Lewis’ reign in April 2000.
Usyk got the better of the opening rounds before Fury hit his stride in the fourth, engaging in some showmanship as he started to catch Usyk with vicious body shots, but the Ukrainian battled back with several stinging reminders of his power.
Usyk turned the tide in the eighth round and few would have been surprised had the referee stopped the fight in the ninth as the Ukrainian’s powerful punches to the head left Fury reeling.
Oleksander Usyk won a split decision over Tyson Fury.Credit: AP
The previously undefeated Briton managed to hang on until the bell but he struggled through the final three rounds of the fight as Usyk chased him down to edge him out on the judges’ scorecards.
“Thank you so much ... It’s a big opportunity for me, for my family, for my country ... It’s a great time, it’s a great day,” a tearful Usyk said in a post-fight interview in the ring, adding that he would grant Fury an immediate rematch.
AAP