Why Jai Opetaia hasn’t won the WBC world title despite devastating win against Noel Mikaelian

Jai Opetaia ruthlessly knocked out Noel Mikaelian with a series of thunderous hooks.

However, the WBC cruiserweight belt was not wrapped around his waist.

WBC refused to sanction Jai Opetaia vs Noel Mikaelian

Jai Opetaia has endured a torrid run of luck since signing for Zuffa Boxing. The Australian was left devastated when the IBF stripped him of his world title ahead of his bout with Brandon Glanton.

To make matters worse, he’s now missed out on becoming a legitimate champion once again despite securing a tremendous ninth-round stoppage.

In a statement, Don King announced that the WBC would not sanction the contest between Opetaia and Noel Mikaelian, who was previously ordered to fight David Benavidez.

Bizarrely, with less than a day to go, Salvador Rodriguez of ESPN claimed that the WBA jumped in, agreeing to sanction the bout for their Regular title, potentially putting Opetaia in prime position for a bout with ‘The Mexican Monster’.

However, there was no sign of that championship being awarded to Opetaia after his win.

Regardless, despite being considered by many as the greatest cruiserweight on the planet, Opetaia, who should potentially be a unified champion, currently has a grand total of zero of the four major belts.

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