Another event—yet another mishap. With a series of fights getting canceled, boxing fans are cursing the jinx that seems to have afflicted a few upcoming events. Jai Opetaia‘s title defense against Huseyin Chinkara appears to be the latest victim. The fight, scheduled for January 8 at Gold Coast, Australia, met with cancellation. The decision followed reports about the German challenger’s inability to participate following an ankle injury.

The bad news follows the cancellation of a much-anticipated year-end showdown. On December 24, Naoya Inoue had a square-up against Sam Goodman. But the Australian suffered a sparring injury, and the fight had to be canceled. Another update suggested the fight between Dennis McCann and Peter McGrail caving in. However, unlike the other two instances, this was a case related to drug tests, which McCann failed to clear. The duo were slated to fight in the December 21 rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. The fight with Chinkara has been aborted; nevertheless, Team Opetaia is on the lookout for another dance partner, it seems.

Jai Opetaia: On the lookout for another opponent

Huseyin Chinkara’s ankle injury may keep him out of the ring for the next three months. Two months ago, on the Artur Beterbiev–Dmitry Bivol card, Jai Opetaia defeated tough-as-nails Jack Massey with a sixth-round knockout. The Sydney-born boxer of Samoan heritage won the IBF and the Ring title two years ago.

But a year later, as he faced Ellis Zorro, Opetaia decided to vacate the IBF championship. Subsequently, on May 18, on the Fury-Usyk card, he defeated Mairis Briedis to win the vacant IBF belt again. 39-year-old Chinkara strengthened his position as title challenger after a second-round KO win over Armend Xhoxhaj late in April this year.

Per available reports, Jai Opetaia’s manager has been contacting the teams of the top fifteen fighters in the IBF roster.

The fight cancellation understandably drew a myriad of reactions. It was easy for many to draw a jinx chain: from the McCann-McGrail fight to the Inoue-Goodman showdown and now to the Opetaia-Chinkara title defense. Let’s check what a few of them had to say.

‘The Monster’ous Parallel

This fan sounded frustrated. “Overnight cancellations left, right, and center!” They said adding, “Wrap Usyk and Fury up in cotton wool at this point!” A marquee event such as the upcoming Fury versus Usyk’s ‘Reignited’ should remain unspoiled.

Given that the news made headway by Friday, December 13, some fans believed the infamous ‘Friday the 13th’ curse was in play. “Friday the 13th curse was a real thing for boxing fans. 😔.”

Likewise, the next follower listed the series of disasters that had befallen the upcoming event. They said, “First McCann, then Goodman, now Cinkara in less than 24 hours 😭😭😭😭.” But one shouldn’t forget in Dennis McCann’s case it was the VADA drug test failure that caused the fight cancelation. Otherwise, the Inoue and Opetaia fights faltered on similar grounds.

The following user weighed in on the fate of the fighter who will accept the Opetaia callout. They said, “It’s going to be a rough night for whoever steps up and faces Opetaia on short notice.” Speculations about what might be in store for the cruiserweight champion weren’t far off. “Jai just needs to get that fight over with and prepare for an undisputed run in 2025 at cruiserweight,” the user suggested.

Likewise, for the next follower, it was the future that mattered. “Just make the Zurdo unification for the next Riyadh card, maneeee,” they said. The unification matchup between Jai Opetaia and Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez makes more sense than opting for a tune-up fight. Whichever fighter Opetaia and his team pick for the January 8 clash, they will have to exercise caution.

The Australian boxer has to present a compelling argument to land a unification bout against ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez. So nothing short of an emphatic win will convince his claims to divisional legacy. There are still two weeks left, so fans will have to wait and see who ends up facing Jai Opetaia at the Gold Coast.

Which fighter in the cruiserweight class, in your opinion, fits the bill to replace Chinkara?