Claudio Squeo, the Italian cruiserweight who proved no match for Jai Opetaia on Sunday, is recovering in Australia after having surgery to repair two fractures in his jaw.
Opetaia, the revered IBF champion, dished out a frightful beating to a fighter so plainly out of his depth it’s a surprise that the IBF ranked him at all. A lesson, again, that fringe continental titles do not a world class fighter make.
Though Squeo, now 17-1 (9 KOs), came with a glossy record the leap to Opetaia, 28-0 (22 KOs), was frankly absurd. Regardless, he gave his all, but he was outclassed in Broadbeach before being knocked out by a ruinous right hook in the fifth.
The surgeon who fixed his jaw, Shannon Webber, is reported as saying it was the “worst broken jaw” he’d ever seen.
The 34-year-old, however, insists he cherished the experience despite its painful end.
“Many of you are writing to me to ask about my condition,” Squeo wrote in a message to Tasman Fighters. “I just came out of surgery to fix the two fractures I sustained in my jaw during the match. The operation went very well. I'm fine!
“All of this was possible thanks to Jai Opetaia's team, who are treating me like a brother. They took me to Shannon Webber, the best surgeon in Australia. A special thanks goes to Tasman Fighters for treating me like family and to manager Michael Francis.
“I learned that right after the match, Opetaia was concerned about my condition and told his team to take care of me in every way possible. This shows us who the current IBF heavyweight champion truly is — not just a boxing phenomenon, but a real man, endowed with great sensitivity and heart.
“Beyond my respect for him, his team has truly touched my heart, and I'll forever cherish them. I've lived unforgettable days that have helped me grow and changed my life.
“This is a boxing story driven by extreme men, filled with incredible tension, but also by boundless mutual respect.”