Cruiserweight prospect Lucas Roehrig believes IBF champion Jai Opetaia will prove himself as the best fighter in the division, even if Opetaia fights Giberto “Zurdo” Ramirez later this year.
Roehrig, who boxes on Friday night on Channel 5 in the UK in Newcastle – where he hopes to go 5-0 – has sparred with Opetaia, and the 22-year-old student of the sport said: “It’s a very intriguing fight, very, because both are high workrate southpaws. Opetaia, I would say, is more explosive. Zurdo’s got a great workrate, but I do see Opetaia beating him. I'm not sure. I think Zurdo’s got a very hard head. I don’t see him getting stopped, but I do see Opetaia picking him apart and probably a unanimous decision win.
“If not, if he is able to break him down, I see a late stoppage as well.”
While Opetaia holds the IBF belt, Ramirez is the WBA and WBO champion and defends his titles against Cuban Yuniel Dorticos later this month. Badou Jack is the WBC ruler.
Roehrig was impressed by Opetaia when they worked together in the gym. Opetaia is undefeated in 27 fights, and many rate him as the best in the division.
Opetaia fights in Australia on Saturday against Claudio Squeo, a 17-0 Italian.
“The second time round as well, when I sparred him [Opetaia] in Saudi [Arabia] and it was just me and him, it was definitely eye-opening for the amount of different areas you need to be good at,” added Roehrig. “You can’t just rely on you being good; being fast, being defensively sound, you need to be good in all areas. And sparring him made me realize that. “You need to be an all-round athlete, all-round technical boxer when you’re going, fighting for those world titles and fighting world level opposition.”