“Hey, you’re talking about fighting the best, this and that. Don’t talk about it. I’m here. Winner of Zurdo vs. Benavidez, let’s go,” Jai Opetaia told The Ring.

Opetai’s comments come just days before Benavidez fights Ramirez for the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles scheduled for May 2. The fight gives Benavidez a chance to secure his first 200-pound belt after moving up from lightweight heavyweight.

The Australian was preparing for a unification opportunity and used the moment to press his case, calling out both fighters rather than focusing on one opponent.

The IBF’s decision to strip Opetaia following his move to Zuffa Boxing has already impacted the perception of this fight. Jose Benavidez Sr. cited the lack of a title and narrow profile as reasons why the fight doesn’t make sense at this point.

Opetaia previously held the IBF cruiserweight title and remains one of the most avoided fighters in the division, with several proposed fights falling through over the past year.

His latest statement puts immediate pressure on the outcome of Saturday’s fight, and a clear next step is already being pushed publicly.

Opetaia’s fight with the Ramirez-Benavidez winner will take the division closer to full unification, depending on how the remaining titles are handled.

For now, our focus is on Saturday’s fight, but Opetaia has made his position clear – he expects him to be next.

Jared Anderson was supposed to be boxing’s next Mike Tyson. Nineteen fights into his career, and the hype surrounding this claim is already perceptible on the canvas.

When Anderson burst onto the scene over a three-month period in 2019-20 with a string of first-round knockouts, the excitement was obvious. The sport finally had an American heavyweight with real support from a major promoter and the kind of power fans could follow from day one, something that hadn’t been seen since the rise of Deontay Wilder.

Top Rank leaned in behind him, Bob Arum talked about the future champion, and Tyson Fury even went as far as calling him the heir apparent as the hype gained momentum.

In the ring, Anderson did what was expected, knocking people out and adding to his list of highlights. Outside of it, the first cracks were already there, although then they were simple to erase.

He was newborn, attractive, and different enough to stand out, although there were times when his focus didn’t quite live up to expectations.

The first warning signs

The first real turning point came when Anderson lined up to fight Zhan Kossobutsky in what would be a real step forward. This fight was a fiasco and he was replaced by Charles Martin, completely changing the vibe of the moment.

Anderson won in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio, and followed it up with another victory over Andrii Rudenko in Tulsa. However, it no longer had the edge it had initially provided, and the momentum that had once seemed unstoppable began to plateau.

On November 6, 2023, Anderson was arrested for improperly handling a firearm in a vehicle while under the influence. He spent about eight hours in custody before being released and later pleaded not guilty to a firearms offense and received a suspended sentence.

That alone should be a warning. Four months later, he was charged again after allegedly leading police on a six-mile chase at speeds in excess of 120 mph. He later apologized, but the situation increased concerns about his focus outside the ring.

Bakole exposes the gap

When Anderson faced Martin Bakole, everything that had been building beneath the surface was exposed overnight. He was dropped early, broken and stopped after five innings in a performance that exposed the chasm between hype and reality.

Since then, reconstruction has provided little certainty. A decision victory over Marios Kollias in 2025 raised more questions than answers, especially as Anderson struggled to impose himself in a fight he was expected to dominate.

Even during this victory, problems were evident to the point that Tim Bradley took to commentary to call his performance “terrible” after Anderson in the corner complained that he was throwing elbows instead of following instructions.

No declaration of winning

Now 2026 is following a similar pattern, with Anderson ruled out of his planned UK debut due to injury, adding to the uncertainty around him.

He’s nineteen fights into his career and still hasn’t had a win that changes anything at the highest level, even though he has strength and support that will never fully run out.

Failures, performances and problems outside the ring all point in the same direction, making the original narrative increasingly tough to maintain.

Jared Anderson was supposed to be the next Mike Tyson. At this point, that comparison isn’t precise, and the gap between expectations and the lack of a standout win hasn’t disappeared.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Since 2010, he has been interviewing world champions, breaking down international titles exclusively and reporting from the ring. His work is distributed across major platforms including Apple News. Read the full biography.

Even though the world remembers the iconic wars of the “Four Kings,” Hearns maintains that the Puerto Rican maestro was the most complete warrior he ever faced in the ring.

His career is often associated with fights with Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Marvin Hagler, a group later called the Four Kings. He stopped Duran, lost to Hagler and Leonard at a distance, and fought to a disputed draw in the rematch with Leonard.

Despite these fights, Hearns singled out Wilfred Benitez as the most complete opponent with whom he shared the ring.

“Wilfred Benitez was very good, skillful and very cunning. He moved well and fought all over the ring,” said Thomas Hearns in an interview with The Ring, recalling one of his former opponents.

They met in December 1982, with Benitez’s WBC welterweight title at stake. It was a 15-round high-level boxing clinic. Benitez, the youngest world champion in history at 17, used his incredible defensive instincts to make Hearns miss, while Hearns had to rely on a disciplined, swift attack to secure a majority decision.

Benitez’s resume compares every era: he was a three-division champion, winning titles at lightweight, welterweight and featherlight middleweight. He defeated Roberto Duran and pushed Sugar Ray Leonard to his limits before a late-round stoppage.

For Hearns, a man who built a legacy on devastating knockouts, the “skillful and cunning” Benitez remains the ultimate paragon of intelligence and boxing ability.