Aussie World champion Jai Opetaia’s savage reaction to ‘soft’ Sonny Bill Williams and Paul Gallen fight

World champion Jai Opetaia has offered a brutal take on the long-awaited fight between Paul Gallen and Sonny Bill Williams, calling the two-minute round format ‘soft.’

The former NRL stars have agreed to the long-awaited showdown and will pocket around $1million each for the bout.

But there is one element to the agreement that The IBF and The Ring cruiserweight titleholder Opetaia can’t cop.  

‘It’s not an attack, I’m taking the piss – but two-minute rounds is soft, bro,’ Opetaia told News Corp.

‘You want to put on a big time main event, well, boxing is three minute rounds.’

Opetaia, Australia’s pound-for-pound best boxer and only current male world champion, knows what it means to earn respect the hard way.

Paul Gallen and Sonny Bill Williams will finally lock horns in the ring after agreeing to a mega fight

The former NRL stars have constantly threatened a bout but this is the first time they have followed through

The only current world champion Jai Opetaia believes the two should fight over three minute rounds, not two minutes

After years flying under the radar, fighting for peanuts, and paying for his own fights, Opetaia has only recently begun making decent money.

Yet rather than blast the Gallen-Williams bout as a circus, the 28-year-old remains philosophical.

‘It builds up the sport of boxing,’ Opetaia said. ‘Whether they fight or not, it doesn’t affect my own career.’

‘Me sitting here, throwing hate at them, what does that do? They’re not taking money out of my pocket.’

In fact, Opetaia confessed he would watch the heavyweight showdown himself.

‘Unfortunately, it sells tickets, people want to see it, and you know what, if I’m being completely honest, so do I.’

Opetaia’s personal history with Gallen runs deep, as the former rugby league star helped him early in his career.

‘When I first turned professional, I was on about five Gallen undercards,’ Opetaia recalled.

Gallen’s profile in the NRL and SBW’s global appeal after a long career with the New Zealand All Blacks as well will bring plenty of eyes to this fight

Gallen’s popularity at the time gave rising stars like Opetaia and Tim Tszyu much-needed exposure.

‘If anyone has a problem with it, don’t watch it,’ Opetaia said.

However, he remains clear that he has no ambitions to face either Gallen or Williams himself.

‘I don’t even think that’s a possibility,’ he said. ‘That’s just imagination.’

Instead, Opetaia has much bigger dreams, aiming to unify the cruiserweight division.

‘I’m chasing these unification bouts, and it’ll be good to get at least one of them before going up to heavyweight,’ he said.

He looks up to champions like Oleksandr Usyk, Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol, aiming to join their exclusive club.

‘If I do that, the money will come anyway, and I truly believe I can achieve these things.’

Opetaia holds both The IBF and The Ring cruiserweight belts and is aiming for a unification bout as well

Opetaia will fight for a much smaller purse when he takes on Italy’s Claudio Squeo on June 8 on the Gold Coast

Next up for Opetaia is a ‘stay busy’ fight against Italy’s Claudio Squeo on June 8 on the Gold Coast.

Squeo is undefeated but is stepping up in class against the 27-0 Australian star.

‘It’s bulls***. The best should be fighting the best,’ Opetaia told DAZN after confirming the bout.

‘I’ve got two belts, he [Ramirez] has got two belts – I want to push for this fight.’

Opetaia is eager for a unification bout with Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez, who holds the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles.

Turki Alalshikh has assured Opetaia that a unification fight will happen by the end of the year.

‘Every time I see his excellency, Turki Alalshikh, I always hit him up and say, ‘Unification?” Opetaia said.

Ramirez, promoted by Oscar De La Hoya, could delay unification plans if he accepts a big-money fight against Jake Paul later this year.

Even then, Opetaia understands the lure of a huge payday.

‘It would change your family’s life, so I can’t even bag him for that,’ he said.

Still, Opetaia expects whoever wins Ramirez vs Paul – if it happens – to face him eventually.

Which raises an interesting question: would Opetaia fight Jake Paul himself?

‘I’d fight Jake Paul for the bag – I’ll fight him to get paid,’ Opetaia admitted.

‘Anyone that turns down that fight, for that kind of money, is an idiot.’

‘But the class difference…f***in’ please.’

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