Jones, a former four-division world champion, said his fellow American should move quickly toward a fight with heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk.
"This is one of the biggest fights of the decade. Take it while it’s hot. Don’t mess around with other people, and don’t let them mess around with you," Roy Jones Jr. said. "Move up and fight Usyk while that matchup still makes sense. You can always come back down and face Opetaia later if you want."
"If you lose to Usyk, the Opetaia fight still matters. If you lose to Opetaia, the Usyk fight is gone. Be smart in this situation: take the Usyk fight — strike while the iron is hot. If you beat Usyk, you probably never fight Opetaia unless he moves up to heavyweight himself," Jones added.