Jai Opetaia vs Jack Massey Predictions: You only get ‘One Smack’

Jack Massey gets a huge challenge this Saturday, October 12, as he faces IBF and The Ring cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia. The fight takes place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event is headlined by Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol. DAZN PPV, Sky Sports Box Office and TNT Sports Box Office will offer competing broadcasts.

Here are my Opetaia vs Massey predictions ahead of this huge cruiserweight clash.

While he is a huge underdog, Massey deserves this day in the son. He takes on any challenge offered, even spending a night at heavyweight opposite former WBO boss Joseph Parker. Only the big New Zealander and Richard Riakporhe have ever beaten Massey. 

Now ‘One Smack’ is coming off the biggest win of his career. Massey beat Isaac Chamberlain to lift the European and Commonwealth cruiserweight titles. The only way is up from such an achievement and now world level beckons.

Facing world class fighters is nothing new for Massey. But this time he gets proper notice and a full camp, rather than a card-rescuing mission like the Parker battle. This is a deserved feature fight for a boxer who has always done what was asked of him.

For as much of a fairytale as this is, Opetaia is possibly the last final boss you’d want to meet. No man is truly indestructible, but the Australian does a mightily good impression of it. Mairis Briedis is the only man seemingly capable of laying significant gloves on him. Opetaia upset him by decision in a rough-and-ready fight to take the titles he defends here.

Since then, Opetaia has racked up three victories with two knockouts. Only Briedis himself has survived to hear the final bell. But their rematch was a great deal more one-sided than the first, barring a late rally from the Latvian. 

Sandwiching his two dates with the ‘Punisher’, Opetaia decked Jordan Thompson in four rounds and Ellis Zorro in one. Technically a two-time IBF champion due to sanctioning body idiocy that saw him stripped for taking the latter fight then awarded the vacant belt in the Briedis rematch, nobody has come close to beating the 25-0 champion.

One thing we know for sure is that Massey will throw everything at this. His whole career, the successes and the failures, have been defined by an indomitable will. The 31-year-old fights with his whole heart. We saw it in his night of glory against Chamberlain, we saw it against big-hitting Riakporhe and we definitely saw it when he took a former heavyweight champion of the world the distance.

Many are viewing this as an extension of the Zorro and Thompson fights for Opetaia. Another blowout of a brave British challenger. Perhaps it will be. Maybe the dominant Aussie has too much of everything for Massey to overcome.

But I do put Massey’s chances higher than I did those of that conquered pair. Thompson didn’t have the experience of mixing in world class or winning major titles that Jack has. Zorro was hungry but fallible and unseasoned against the best. Briedis aside, Massey is the best fighter Opetaia has faced as a world champion. There is an argument to be made that the Derbyshire lad is better than the version of Briedis who turned up in the second fight, prime ebbed away by age and injuries.

This sort of fight typifies boxing. A challenger who has defined himself by his willingness to fight anyone and everyone. A champion who has every physical and technical gift you could want. Not all intriguing fights need to be 50-50. After all, who doesn’t love an underdog story? Yo Adrian, can Jack do it?

Jai Opetaia vs Jack Massey Fight Odds

Massey launching an upset for the ages in Riyadh is priced at 10/1. Opetaia taking another British scalp is priced at 1/33. If you think these cruisers will battle to a draw it’s 25/1.

Jai Opetaia vs Jack Massey Full Card

Artur Beterbiev (c) vs. Dmitry Bivol (c); IBF, WBA, WBC, and WBO light heavyweight titles Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Kamil Szeremeta; Middleweights 

Fabio Wardley (c) vs. Frazer Clarke II for the British heavyweight title 

Jai Opetaia (c) vs. Jack Massey for the IBF and The Ring cruiserweight titles 

Ben Whittaker vs. Liam Cameron; Light Heavyweights 

Skye Nicolson (c) vs. Raven Chapman for the WBC featherweight title 

Mohammed Alakel vs. Jesus Gonzalez

Jai Opetaia vs Jack Massey Prediction

For all the talk of a rags-to-riches tale, the most appealing narrative this sport provides, I struggle to see past Opetaia. Massey will give this one hell of a go and probably clip Opetaia more than the champion is accustomed to. But ultimately he will succumb.

Opetaia is powerful and doesn’t shirk a war. He finished the first Briedis contest with two separate jaw breaks. That is stunning and visceral toughness. Nothing Massey, or any other cruiserweight I venture, can throw at him can derail Opetaia in this form.

My pick is Opetaia to score the knockout between rounds seven and nine. The odds on an Aussie win in this period are 11/5.

You can find all our latest boxing betting tips and analysis at our Betfred Insights Boxing page and our latest boxing odds here.