Jack Massey Ready To Make The Most Of His Opportunity Against Jai Opetaia
Cruiserweight contender Jack Massey says he’s determined the make the most of the opportunity to fight for a world title when he takes on IBF champion Jai Opetaia next month.
Opetaia (25-0-0 19 KO) begins his second reign as the IBF world champion against Massey (22-2-0 12 KO) on October 14 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Their bout will feature on the undercard of the undisputed light-heavyweight bout between Artur Beterbiev and Dimitrii Bivol.
The Australian had been pursuing a unification bout with WBO champion Chris Billam-Smith, but once it was clear the bout wasn’t happening, an offer went out to Massey.
The British challenger has enjoyed a productive year following a frustrating 2023. After producing a competitive performance at heavyweight against former world champion Joseph Parker in January 2023, Massey had hoped it would open doors in his natural division. Instead, Massey sat on the sidelines and was inactive for a full 12 months.
He returned in January this year with a first-round knockout of Steve Eloundou Ntere, before a superb display against domestic rival Isaac Chamberlain in June to become the European and Commonwealth champion.
Massey, whose positive year also included getting married, is now preparing for arguably the biggest challenge in the 200lb division, and he says he’s ready to take advantage of the opportunity against Opetaia.
“You’ve got to realize that not a lot of people get these opportunities. When it’s there, you’ve got to take it and give it your all,” Massey told Boxing Scene. “It didn’t sink in at first. Obviously, I had the wedding, I was busy, and then it was a couple of days after and when I was lying in bed, I was like, ‘F**king hell. This is it.’ It’s mad.”
Opetaia is widely regarded as the top cruiserweight on the planet. The Australian first became the IBF world champion in July 2022 by defeating Mairis Briedis, but after one defense, he was stripped of the belt for failing to fight the Latvian again in a mandatory rematch.
The second fight finally happened in May this year for the vacant world title, with Opetaia once again emerging victorious on points. While the 29-year-old southpaw has looked imperious for most of his career, Massey is convinced there are areas to exploit, pointing to Briedis’ ability to push Opetaia back during the mid-rounds of the rematch.
“He finished stronger. I think that was experience showing with Breidis because he’s been in a lot of tough fights, twelve round fights,” Massey said. “It’s that experience that shows at the back end of the fight. He’s been there. He’s been at the back end of hard fights and he’s comfortable. He can finish the twelve rounds off, whereas Jai’s got a lot of stoppages on his record.
“I’m not sure how many times he’s been the full distance – the full 12 rounds – but I’m guessing it’s not as many as Breidis.
“I think that’s the thing as well, when you’re looking at a fight, finish strong. If you’re watching Opetaia, he slows down towards the end. That’s a massive factor that’s going to play out. Over 12 rounds, he might start fast, he’s really good for four or six, but it’s the back end of the fight.”
