Boxing
'Does not make sense!' - Jai Opetaia takes aim at Zurdo Ramirez after Claudio Squeo bout confirmed
Watch Opetaia vs Squeo May 13 live on DAZN
Jai Opetaia has aired his frustration at being forced to wait for a cruiserweight unification bout with Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez after he was confirmed to fight Claudio Squeo in May.
The Australian will defend his IBF title against the Italian challenger on Tuesday, May 13 at Gold Coast Convention Centre in Queensland, with the fight set to be live on DAZN.
Many had hoped that Opetaia would move next to a highly anticipated battle with Ramirez, who defeated Chris Billam-Smith last November to unite the WBA and WBO crowns.
But instead, it is the relatively unknown Squeo who will step into the ring with him, and the star - who also holds The Ring crown - admitted he was disappointed to be waiting.
"It's bull***," he told DAZN. "I've got two belts, he has got two belts. I want to push for this fight. It just does not make sense to me why it is not getting over the line.
"The only reason to me would be [that] he is ducking. We're really pushing for these unification fights but I can only do so much. This is another 'stay busy' fight.
"I'm not taking [Squeo] lightly. [But] I'm chasing Zurdo. My eyes are locked on [those unification fights]. Now this guy's in the way and we've got to remove him."
Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn suggested that Ramirez's mandatory WBA defence against Yuniel Dorticos is slowing matters, but also echoed his star's concerns too.
"There are ways around [fighting the mandatory opponent], and I just don't know if they want to roll the dice [against Opetaia]," he added. "We don't want to keep treading water
"But it's down to the other fighters to want to get in the ring with him. We know the big fights are coming. The events on the Gold Coast are wild and we want to be back there."
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