Jai Opetaia produced a fifth-round stoppage to beat Claudio Squeo and retain his IBF and Ring Journal cruiserweight world titles.
The Australian dominated the bout on the Gold Coast and landed a agency uppercut within the third spherical earlier than connecting with some damaging mixtures.
Opetaia, 29, then floored Italian Squeo within the fourth spherical with a punishing shot to the physique.
Victory was delivered within the subsequent spherical after a fierce proper hook to the jaw pressured Squeo to hunch over and take a knee as the house favorite prolonged his unbeaten run to twenty-eight fights.
Following the bout, Opetaia as soon as once more voiced his need for a unification bout with Mexico’s WBO and WBA cruiserweight champion Gilberto Ramirez.
“We did what we needed to do,” mentioned Opetaia.
“I am chasing this unification battle and it is irritating.
“Gilberto Ramirez – subsequent battle, let’s get it on. I am chasing the belts. The battle is simple to be made. Let’s do it.”
In the meantime, Japan’s Junto Nakatani overcame compatriot Ryosuke Nishida, who retired with a watch damage in Tokyo, so as to add the IBF bantamweight title to his WBC belt.
Nakatani stays the primary fighter within the division after firing a number of punches in direction of the correct eye of Nishida, which prompted an inspection from the ringside physician after the sixth spherical.
Victory for the three-weight world champion extends his unbeaten document to 31 wins, together with 24 knockouts.
One other Japanese rival, Naoya Inoue, was watching on from the stands and may very well be in line for a extremely anticipated assembly with the 27-year-old subsequent 12 months.
A bout between Nakatani and the unbeaten Inoue, who has 27 knockouts in 30 wins, can be the most important battle in Japanese boxing historical past.
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