The cruiserweights have a visitor.
Oleksandr Usyk (25-0), the man who cleaned out the heavyweights, wants to drop back down for one final run at 200 lb. His advisor told The Ring's Mike Coppinger the big target is David Benavidez (32-0), the WBA and WBO champion. AAP reports the vacant IBF belt would come first.
Only one problem.
That IBF belt has a queue — and it runs through Queensland !
New Zealand's David Nyika, trained by Noel Thornberry in Gatton, is the IBF's No. 1. He was ordered to fight No. 2 Viddal Riley for the vacant title. That fight is now on hold.
Why? Jai Opetaia.
The Aussie was stripped by the IBF after his Zuffa Boxing debut, and he has taken them to court to get it back.
And here's the twist. Opetaia has wanted Usyk since the 2012 London Olympics, where both boxed and Jai was barely 17.
Fourteen years later, Usyk is finally heading to Jai's division… and the belt that could make it happen is stuck in a courtroom.
Team Nyika isn't waiting around. "I've reached out to Usyk's management, they know we're certainly interested," Thornberry told AAP. Nyika, he says, would take it "in a heartbeat".
And a little warning for the great man: "Historically, no-one goes well when they come back in weight."
Meanwhile Opetaia is eyeing a heavyweight cameo against Deontay Wilder next month, with a possible Benavidez unification next May. Benavidez first meets WBC champion Michal Cieslak on December 5.
Usyk. Opetaia. Benavidez. Nyika.
One division. Somebody is getting squeezed.
Stay tuned !
🇺🇦 USYK · 🇳🇿 NYIKA · 🇦🇺 OPETAIA · 🇲🇽🇺🇸 BENAVIDEZ
🥊 Cruiserweight | 200 lb
#Usyk #Opetaia #Nyika #Benavidez #Cruiserweight #VSPPromotions
December 24, 2024
Dear Partners,
I would like to take this moment to first wish you and your family a safe and blessed holiday season.
This annual report serves as a benchmark for our progress and a commitment to transparency in our operations. In 2024, a notable decline occurred in the number of professional boxing events held domestically. This downturn was primarily attributed to the cessation of grassroots events by VSP Promotions, a key promoter that played a crucial role in introducing new talent to the domestic professional boxing scene.
The challenges faced in organizing professional boxing events in Vietnam intensified in 2024 compared to the previous year, a reflection of the current market conditions. We anticipate this trend to persist in 2025 due to the continued existence of an unsupportive environment for event organizers, fostered by the local amateur boxing federation.
VBO organized the gathering of 10 commissions in Asia in 8/2024. It is our view that Asia has a fundamental challenge in how boxing is managed and supervised. Standardization and coherent cooperation models that have actionable and measurable outcomes will need to be developed in order to create more regional opportunities for the industry participants.
DOMESTIC REPORT 2024
INTERNATIONAL REPORT 2024
The VBO remains dedicated to securing international fight opportunities for Vietnamese boxers within safe environments. While the organization provides recommendations, the final decision to accept a fight rests solely with the boxers and their coaching teams.
OFFICIALS OF VBO REPORT 2024
VBO collects detailed performance data of each official in their assigned roles at every event. We compile these data for use towards training requirements to further improve their performance.
We hope that 2025 will bring more opportunities for the boxers between partnering countries and jointly continue to improve the quality of our officials. Have a wonderful holiday season! See you all in 2025.
Sincerely,
Lim Song
President of Vietnam Boxing Organization
