By Anthony Cocks
IBF and Ring Magazine world cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia (29-0, 23 KOs) retained his titles with an eighth-round knockout of previously undefeated Huseyin Cinkara (23-1, 19 KOs) at the Gold Coast Convention Centre in Broadbeach, Australia on Saturday night.
The Turkish-born German Cinkara came to fight, but ultimately came up short. Opetaia ironed him out with a chopping left hand cleverly disguised behind body feints. Cinkara, 40, didn’t see it coming.
And he didn’t see much more after that.
Cinkara was out cold on the canvas for some minutes after the fight was called. He was transported to the hospital after coming to.
Always the perfectionist, Opetaia wasn’t happy with his performance.
“You get these nights. We go back to the drawing board,” the 30-year-old Australian southpaw said.
“I’m very disappointed in myself – I feel like I’ve let some people down with that performance. I made a lot of mistakes.”
Opetaia has long been angling for a fight against WBA and WBO titleholder Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (48-1 30 KOs). The 34-year-old Mexican, a fellow lefty, has yet to show any appetite for the fight.
“We want the unification fights,” said Opetaia. “We want Ramirez. I’ve been asking for them [Ramirez’s team] for a long time.”
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