“The sport of dressing up and putting in what you say makes money, not skill,” Opetaia told Boxing King Media.

The comment was met with backlash as Opetaia became one of the clearest examples of boxing’s high-risk, low-reward problem.

Although he was stripped of his IBF cruiserweight title outside the ring, many fans still view Opetaia as the true leader of the division as he still holds The Ring’s cruiserweight championship and has never been defeated professionally. However, crucial names rarely mention him.

This became increasingly noticeable after David Benavidez moved up to the cruiserweight division and defeated Gilberto Ramirez in a title fight earlier this month. Despite the victory, Benavidez quickly turned the attention back to a possible future fight against Dmitry Bivol at airy heavyweight instead of talking about Opetai.

The timing was significant because realistically Bivol may not become available until 2027, depending on how his mandatory duties develop following Saturday’s save from Michael Eifert and a likely mandatory start from Callum Smith.

This potentially leaves Benavidez plenty of time for another large fight before Bivol becomes available. Despite this, Opetai’s name rarely comes up in discussions.

This fight is viewed by many as stylistically unsafe for Benavidez due to the way both fighters operate offensively. Benavidez usually positions himself directly in front of his opponents, performing constant combinations and applying pressure. Few fighters approach Opetaia this way due to his striking power, physical strength, and willingness to trade blows in close quarters.

Opetaia himself praised Benavidez in an interview and said that the attractiveness of the fight would come from the skill level, not the hostility created.

“I actually really respect Benavidez and the way he conducts himself,” Opetaia said.

“People want to see our skills.

“That’s what we leave it to. We leave the talks to the ring.”

The lack of earnest public interest in the fight only reinforced Opetai’s broader view that boxing often rewards position and advancement as much as proving who the best fighter actually is.

Canelo Alvarez said he will return to 175 pounds for just one fight, naming a potential opponent he feels has unfinished business against him.

The 35-year-old has not fought since losing his super middleweight title to Terence Crawford, who he moved up two weight classes and won a unanimous decision in September last year.

“Bud” then announced his retirement a few months later, allowing Christian Mbilla to advance from “interim” to full WBC champion after a 10-round draw with Lester Martinez.

More importantly, however, the Frenchman has since created a lucrative opportunity against Canelo, who is looking to reclaim one of his world titles on September 12 in Riyad, Saudi Arabia.

If he dethrones Mbilli, the Mexican will likely remain at 168 pounds, perhaps to unify the division against Hamzah Sheeraz or Osleys Iglesias.

However, an opportunity at airy heavyweight could tempt him, especially if it involves a rematch with current unified champion Dmitry Bivol.

The clash occurred in 2022, with Bivol scoring a comprehensive points victory and Canelo, in addition to being undersized for weight, seemed to struggle with the elite technician’s footwork.

Now said Alvarez Ring Magazine that he would happily face the 35-year-old in a bid to exact revenge.

“If I get to 175[lbs]it’s a fight with Bivol. Or maybe he [can] get lower [to 168lbs]”

While their rematch could happen sometime next year, Bivol must first end a 15-month layoff and defeat mandatory challenger Michael Eifert on Saturday.

Bivol is also a target of David Benavidez, who currently holds the WBC 175-pound belt. An undisputed fight could happen within the next twelve months.

Benavidez also called up Canelo for the long-awaited showdown, although it appears the Mexican’s interest has not changed.

File this under press releases that answer questions no one asked. The International Boxing Association announced Monday from its headquarters in Lausanne that it is ready to organize a professional boxing fight for Jon Jones, the former UFC featherlight heavyweight and heavyweight champion. Opponents appeared in the same statement, including Francis Ngannou and Daniel Cormier.

There are a few problems with this.

Jones is still under contract with the UFC. The UFC, owned by TKO Group Holdings, generally does not allow its fighters to accept bookings outside of combat sports, and certainly not those promoted by the Lausanne-based promotion that operates primarily out of Russia. UFC President Dana White continued to refer to Jones as a member of the roster, even though Jones vacated the heavyweight title in 2025 and has not competed since Stipe Miocic’s stoppage at UFC 309 in November 2024.

None of this seems to have slowed down IBA president Umar Kremlev.

“If we’re talking about Jon Jones’ potential transition to boxing, these are the stories we’re interested in,” Kremlev said in a statement. “Jones in the ring against Daniel Cormier or Francis Ngannou, but according to the rules of boxing, these are the fights that the whole world is talking about and waiting for.”

Kremlow added that Jones is scheduled to travel to Russia on June 27 for the IBA Bare Knuckle tournament and that the two will discuss the matter in person.

“It is critical to understand how sedate his plans are to prove himself in boxing,” Kremlov said. “If this interest turns out to be real, IBA will organize an critical event with his participation in Russia.”

The issue of sanctions

The IBA’s role in boxing has diminished significantly in recent years. The International Olympic Committee has stripped the organization of recognition as the sport’s amateur governing body in 2023, and boxing at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles will be managed by World Boxing, which has since secured provisional recognition from the IOC. The IBA continues to operate independently and has organized a number of professional events, most of which took place in Russia.

The IBA is not one of the four sanctioning bodies that regulate professional boxing worldwide. A fight promoted under her banner would have no consequences for the WBC, WBA, IBF or WBO. It also would not appear on any of the major broadcast platforms in North America or Europe that televise significant professional boxing.

In essence, it would be an exhibition combined with a press release.

Opponents

Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion, has two professional boxing fights under his belt. He lost a contest decision to Tyson Fury in October 2023 and was stopped in two rounds by Anthony Joshua in March 2024. He has since returned to mixed martial arts under the PFL banner.

Cormier, 47, retired from busy competition in 2020 and has since worked primarily as a UFC analyst. He has no achievements in professional boxing and has not indicated any intention to start one at any stage of his career.

None of the players commented on the IBA proposal. It is unclear whether any of them were asked before the statement was released.

Stan Jones

Jones, widely considered one of the greatest fighters in the history of mixed martial arts, has said in recent interviews that he wants to test himself in boxing, including a potential fight with Ngannou. He has no professional boxing experience. He remains under contract with the UFC once again.

Jones representatives did not publicly respond to the IBA’s statement, which concluded with the organization’s commitment to “world-class, independent and globally anticipated combat sports spectacles.” The struggle currently exists only in this sentence.