Jai Opetaia takes boxing’s biggest power players to court over ‘corruption’ claims

Samoan-Australian boxing champion Jai Opetaia has taken his fight outside the ring, launching legal action against the International Boxing Federation (IBF) over the loss of his cruiserweight world title.

The undefeated 31-year-old has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, seeking to have his IBF title reinstated and alleging that his stripping was part of a wider effort to punish him for signing with controversial new promotion Zuffa Boxing.

Opetaia is also seeking damages, legal costs and an injunction preventing the IBF from naming a new cruiserweight champion while the case is ongoing.

At the centre of the lawsuit is Opetaia’s claim that the IBF and other major boxing organisations have acted against him because of his decision to join Zuffa Boxing.

The 19-page complaint alleges that the IBF’s actions were part of “co-ordinated, industry-wide collusion designed to penalise Jai for signing with Zuffa Boxing and to deter other athletes from doing the same”.

Opetaia’s lawsuit claims rival boxing organisations also discouraged champions from fighting him, alleging the WBC threatened to strip Noel Mikaelian if he agreed to face the Australian.

The lawsuit says:

“The conspirators and, most recently, the WBC have taken steps to freeze out Jai from other future bouts.”

These are allegations made in Opetaia’s legal complaint and have not been proven in court.

So, what started all of this?

The dispute dates back to Opetaia’s decision to sign with Zuffa Boxing, the new promotion launched by UFC president Dana White and TKO.

In March, Opetaia faced Brandon Glanton in Las Vegas in his first fight under the Zuffa banner, winning by unanimous decision to claim the inaugural Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight championship.

But the fight ultimately cost Opetaia his IBF world title.

According to the IBF, it had initially approved the bout after Opetaia’s representatives assured the organisation that it would not be promoted as a unification bout and that any Zuffa belt would be “characterized as a trophy or token of recognition.”

The IBF says that changed after a March 6 press conference publicly promoted the bout as being for the “Zuffa World Cruiserweight Championship”, prompting the organisation to withdraw its sanction.

Opetaia was subsequently stripped of his IBF cruiserweight title.

Opetaia disputes the IBF’s position, arguing in his lawsuit that the bout was ceremonial in nature and that the IBF’s decision to strip him was unlawful.

His case now asks a US federal court to determine whether he should have been stripped of the title and whether the wider allegations made in his complaint have merit.

Opetaia alleges wider boxing conspiracy

The legal complaint goes beyond the IBF, alleging that the move against him was part of a broader campaign involving boxing’s major sanctioning bodies.

Opetaia claims evidence of the alleged conspiracy exists in group text messages and WhatsApp conversations.

The lawsuit also names representatives associated with the WBC, WBA and WBO in its allegations.

The WBO has strongly rejected any suggestion of corruption involving the organisation.

WBO president Gustavo Olivieri told the BBC:

“The WBO categorically rejects any suggestion of corruption involving the organisation or any of its officers, officials, employees, or representatives.”

“Allegations of this nature are exceedingly serious and should never be advanced without competent evidentiary support.”

The IBF has declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying:

“We will release a statement when it is appropriate.”

Eddie Hearn hits back

Promoter Eddie Hearn, who is also named in Opetaia’s legal action, has strongly rejected any suggestion that he or Matchroom acted improperly.

Speaking to iFL TV, Hearn said he believed Opetaia had been placed in the middle of a wider dispute between Zuffa Boxing and boxing’s established governing bodies.

“I’m sorry for Jai Opetaia because not only has he been mugged off from Zuffa Boxing on the IBF, now they’re making Jai Opetaia be the scapegoat and put everything on him,” Hearn said.

“This is not about Jai Opetaia. Zuffa, in my opinion, have made Jai do this, and this is a Zuffa fight.”

Hearn said his lawyers had already sent a legal letter to Opetaia’s representatives.

“I’ve instructed my lawyers today to write to his lawyers and let him know you withdraw me from that complaint, you retract any statement, or I will sue you for defamation because you don’t talk about me like that,” he said.

Hearn also said Matchroom had built a reputation over more than four decades and that he would defend it.

What happens next?

Opetaia is seeking to be reinstated as IBF cruiserweight champion, along with damages and legal costs.

The lawsuit also asks the court to prevent the IBF from naming a new champion while the legal proceedings continue.

For Opetaia, the legal battle is now about more than simply getting his belt back. His lawsuit challenges what he alleges is an attempt by boxing’s established power structures to punish him for choosing a different path.

The allegations remain contested, and the court will ultimately determine the merits of Opetaia’s claims.

But for the undefeated Samoan-Australian champion, the fight for his title is far from over.Samoa