Jai Opetaia delivered a commanding performance to retain his IBF and Ring Magazine cruiserweight world titles with a fifth-round stoppage against Claudio Squeo on the Gold Coast. The Australian boxer, 29, dominated the bout from the outset, landing a powerful uppercut in the third round and following up with a series of damaging combinations. In the fourth round, Opetaia floored Squeo with a punishing body shot, setting the stage for the decisive moment in the fifth round. A fierce right hook to the jaw forced Squeo to take a knee, prompting the referee to stop the fight and extend Opetaia's unbeaten record to 28 wins.

Following the victory, Opetaia reiterated his desire for a unification bout with Mexico's WBO and WBA cruiserweight champion, Gilberto Ramirez. "We did what we had to do," said Opetaia. "I'm chasing this unification fight, and it's frustrating. Gilberto Ramirez - next fight, let's get it on. I'm chasing the belts. The fight is easy to be made. Let's do it."

In other boxing news, Japan's Junto Nakatani added the IBF bantamweight title to his WBC belt after his compatriot Ryosuke Nishida retired due to an eye injury in Tokyo. Nakatani, a three-weight world champion, extended his unbeaten record to 31 wins, including 24 knockouts. The victory sets the stage for a potential blockbuster clash with fellow Japanese boxer Naoya Inoue, who was in attendance. A bout between Nakatani and the unbeaten Inoue, who has 27 knockouts in 30 wins, would be the biggest fight in Japanese boxing history.

Related Topics:

• Boxing
• Cruiserweight Division
• Unification Fights
• Japanese Boxing
• Jai Opetaia