Jai Opetaia continues to impress, title or no title.
The former cruiserweight beltholder from Australia stopped Ellis Zorro with a mammoth left hand to the jaw at 2:56 of the first round of a scheduled 12-round bout on the card featuring Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.
Jai Opetaia knocks out Ellis Zorro in round one‼️🥊😳 pic.twitter.com/gzZn5xpvSs
— IFN (@IfnBoxing) December 23, 2023
Zorro (17-1, 7 KOs) landed with his head on the bottom rope, where he remained until the referee waived off the fight.
The fighters were engaged in an uneventful first round — no significant punches had landed — when Opetaia’s big shot changed everything.
Opetaia, arguably the top 200-pounder, announced during fight week that he had vacated his IBF title because the organization refused to sanction the bout after ordering him to face Mairis Briedis in a rematch.
Opetaia outpointed Briedis to win his belt in July of last year.
