5 things this weekend in boxing: Risky business in San Antonio, plus Jai Opetaia's statement time

As we shuffle into the first weekend of December, the boxing calendar is doing its best to pack your early festive schedule. From San Antonio to Monte Carlo, from Broadbeach, Australia, to cards in Germany and Panama, there’s more than enough happening to warm our ice-cold hearts.

Let’s take a closer look at the five biggest things to look out for this weekend in the world of boxing.

1. It’s statement time for Jai Opetaia

If IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia (28-0, 22 KOs) is going to keep being paired with fighters noticeably below his ceiling, then the responsibility is on him to keep stacking statement wins. That’s just how this sport works — the ecosystem demands receipts.

This Saturday on Australia’s Gold Coast he meets Huseyin Cinkara (23-0, 19 KOs), an unbeaten contender who’s still a few solid rungs beneath the IBF champ. Opetaia’s irritation is understandable, too — the appetite from his fellow beltholders to share a ring with him appears to be shrinking, not growing.

They say that you can only beat what — and who — is put in front of you, but they also say that there are many different ways to skin a cat. Opetaia — much like he did Jack Massey, David Nyika and Claudio Squeo — needs to get Cinkara out of there quickly on Saturday and put his foot down in a division that he needs to prove ownership over.

2. O’Shaquie Foster vs. Stephen Fulton simply can’t disappoint

We’ve had to remain patient in waiting for this one, so surely O’Shaquie Foster vs. Stephen Fulton won’t disappoint us on Saturday night.

It’s third time lucky in the scheduling of this, as Fulton (23-1, 8 KOs) attempts to become a three-division world champion when he challenges Foster (23-3, 12 KOs) for his WBC junior lightweight title on Saturday in San Antonio, Texas. (Ed. note: Aaaand Fulton just missed weight by two pounds. Beautiful.)

Fulton impressively outworked Figueroa in their rematch earlier this year, and it’s a blueprint he’ll be tempted to lean on again against Foster. But can he replicate that success against the subtle shifts, crafty footwork and defensive polish that Foster brings? That’s the question hanging over this matchup — one that Foster remains adamant he knows the answer to.

Speaking to Uncrowned earlier this year, “Shock” made it clear he believes that size matters: “I’m looking at it like this: He’s moved up to 126 to fight once against a fully-fledged guy [Carlos Castro]; now he’s coming up to fight a big 130-pounder in myself, with speed, power, experience at the weight, and that’s ultimately going to be too much for him. Everything is different up here.”

On Saturday night, we’ll find out.

3. The return of Lamont Roach Jr.

On Saturday night, Lamont Roach Jr. steps into new territory, making his super lightweight debut against Mexico’s WBC interim champion Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz (28-3-1, 18 KOs), headlining the San Antonio show inside the Frost Bank Center.

The jump to 140 pounds marks the start of an intriguing new chapter for the Maryland native — but it also closes the book on a highly-successful spell at super featherweight. Once the opening bell rings, Roach (25-1-2, 10 KOs) will officially relinquish the WBA belt he claimed back in November 2023, when he unseated Hector Garcia to become world champion.

Roach burst into the wider public’s consciousness this past March earning a disputed majority decision draw with Gervonta “Tank” Davis. Having failed to secure a rematch, the 30-year-old is moving on with his career.

In a new weight class, Roach should be commended for taking such a dangerous fight before properly dipping his toes at 140 pounds — something that gives this contest a real edge of intrigue.

Lamont Roach Jr. fights this weekend for the first time since his robbery against Gervonta Davis.

(Al Bello via Getty Images)

4. Shabaz Masoud vs. Peter McGrail lights up Monte Carlo

This has all the ingredients of a razor-sharp domestic clash — two English super bantamweights on upward curves, each eyeing the fringes of world level.

For Masoud (16-2, 4 KOs), the opportunity to fight for the vacant European title has been a long time coming. He hasn’t boxed since edging Liam Davies via split decision back in November 2024, and a training injury earlier this year pushed this matchup back from its original June date.

On the other side, McGrail (12-1, 6 KOs) has rebuilt impressively, stitching together four straight wins after his shock stoppage defeat to Ja’Rico O’Quinn in late 2023. His stellar amateur pedigree still feels like a key differentiator at this stage, though the cuts he sustained in his past two outings are an unavoidable subplot heading in.

Styles, stakes and storylines all line up neatly here in the boujee setting of Monte Carlo, Monaco — and it’s hard to imagine this one failing to deliver for the tuxedos in attendance.

5. Beatriz Ferreira’s pound-for-pound charge

Brazil’s unbeaten lightweight champion Beatriz Ferreira (8-0, 2 KOs) is on the cusp of making a charge into the pound-for-pound rankings.

The IBF queen makes the fourth defense of her 135-pound belt this weekend on Matchroom’s Monte Carlo show against unbeaten Turkish challenger, Elif Nur Turhan (11-0, 7 KOs), continuing her global tour of outings.

“The Beast” has won as a professional in Brazil, United Kingdom, United States and Monaco previously, barely losing a round and making a name for herself as one of the most talented up-and-coming stars of the women’s code.

At age 32, Matchroom will be looking to move Ferreira quickly (this will be her third fight in six months) and target some of the other champions at lightweight. Britons Terri Harper and Caroline Dubois would be obvious targets if she gets past Turhan unscathed.

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