Jai Opetaya (22-0, 17 KOs) may lose his IBF cruiserweight title if he does not settle a dispute with his promoter Dean Lonergan, who on Wednesday began legal proceedings against him in the Brisbane High Court.
In January, Lonergan's contract with the local FOX television company expired. Then Opetaya decided to look for a new promoter, but Lonergan is sure that his contract with the boxer will be valid until December 2023.
The International Boxing Federation recently confirmed that it is aware of the conflict between Opetaya and Lonergan.
“There is some controversy that could potentially lead to the deprivation of the belt of Opetaya. I hope that doesn't happen because Jai had a great win and I wouldn't want him to lose the belt without a fight. This is not a very good situation,” an IBF representative said in an interview with the Australian Courier Mail.
“If the issue is not resolved by April, Opetaya may be stripped of his title. However, I don’t know at what stage the negotiations between the boxer and the promoter are, ”added the representative of the federation.
The collaboration with Lonergan was recently completed by Justice Huni, who signed a contract with Matchroom Boxing. However, the Australian promoter is confident that his contract with Opetaya is still valid.
“Contracts must be fulfilled. Jai is in danger of losing the belt we worked so hard for together. A quick resolution of this issue is in the interests of everyone,” Lonergan said.
Soon the IBF should officially set a date for talks between the teams of Opetaya and his mandatory challenger Mateusz Masternak (47-5, 31 KOs). If the Australian does not have a certain team on his side, the IBF may be forced to make a decision that is unfavorable for him to deprive him of his title.
