- He was ready to face Huseyin Cinkara on the Gold Coast.
- Now he faces a mad fight to find a new opponent.
- The manager has been on the phone until the early hours of the morning.
The manager of Australian cruiserweight boxing sensation Jai Opetaia is in an urgent search for a new opponent for his IBF world title defence.
In a dramatic prelude to the January 8 showdown on the Gold Coast, IBF No. 1-ranked German star Huseyin Cinkara broke his ankle and will be unable to fight Opetaia.
Russia’s Umar Salamov, New Zealand’s David Nyika, Brandon Glanton (USA), Robin Safar (Sweden) and Albania’s Juergen Uldedaj were all the options Opetaia coach Michael Francis was in talks with on Saturday.
“I’m in the process of working with the IBF and reviewing the top 15 to find an opponent for Jai,” Francis told AAP.
“We are three and a half weeks away and we need a new opponent because last night I got a missed call from Cinkara’s manager.
‘He sent me a message to call him urgently because it said ‘there has been a disaster.’ Immediately my heart sank.
Australian cruiserweight boxing champion Jai Opetaia is looking for a new opponent for his world title defense.
German star Huseyin Cinkara (left) has broken his ankle and has been ruled out of the fight.
‘I called him and he told me that Cinkara had broken his ankle and would be out for three months before he could train again. He even sent me the medical certificate.’
Francis was on the phone until 3 a.m. Saturday with the managers of the top 15 cruiserweights in the world.
“The IBF rules state that you have to work from the top down,” Francis said.
‘There are boxers we can’t get visas for in time, so we are working frantically to get an opponent. I’m sure we’ll have one. “The event will go ahead because there are five guys in the top 15 who have put their hands up and want the opportunity.”
Francisco must now work with the FIB to determine who it will be.
Opetaia will also defend his Ring Magazine World Title when he fights his yet-to-be-determined opponent.
The 29-year-old is undefeated in 26 fights, 20 of them won by knockout.
Francis said Opetaia was in camp on the Gold Coast ahead of his world title defense and began training on Saturday.
‘I told Jai about his opponent’s unfortunate injury and he took it in his stride. “It will be prepared the same way anyway,” he said.