I was in a rush, and Jai Opetaia retains straps with a terrible second round stoppage.

We’ll wrap things up here I think.

A solid display from Opetaia, who did nothing he didn’t need to do against a game but limited Italian challenger.

Surely the next fight has to be Ramírez, who has run for long enough now.

If that can be on the undercard of the Canelo vs Crawford super fight in the States, then why not.

We’ll wrap things up here though, catch you again next time.

Here is the champion.

“I was just in a rush, I just really wanted to get him out of here,” he says.

“I am chasing a unification fight.

“We did what we have to do. We’ve got a lot more to go.

“I’m chasing these unification fights. I’m chasing these world champions.”

He has one clear target next.

“The next fight is Zurdo Ramirez,” he says.

“I’m not here to badmouth him.

“But the fight is easy to be made. I’m ready.

“We’re not in the trash-talking business. We’re in the boxing business.

“Nobody who thinks they’re the best is the best unless they’ve beaten me.”

A brutal shot! Brutal.

Squeo may well have broken his jaw.

That was a nasty finish.

Will this be it?

Squeo comes out swinging.

Opetaia marches down the Italian.

BANG! Great shot to the body!

AND NOW TO THE JAW!

SQUEO IS DOWN!

AND SQUEO IS OUT!

The replays suggest the punches weren’t as clean as they might have been from Opetaia in that round.

But Squeo was getting a couple through.

Don’t get me wrong, Opetaia is in control, but it’s not a done deal yet.

SQUEO IS DOWN!

But it won’t count! Because Opetaia has been ruled to have held his opponent and hit him as he was holding him!

Oh my word, that was right in the solar plexus! And Squeo was saved by the referee there.

The crowd boos, but he was holding his head as he unloaded.

But Opetaia has sensed blood.

Opetaia has Squeo in the corner and he’s hunting the victory!

Opetaia lands with another brutal body shot and Squeo stumbles a little.

Squeo comes in and lands to the head but the power has gone.

Opetaia is looking for the body shot every time.

OH! SQUEO WITH A GOOD RIGHT OVER THE TOP!

Opetaia takes it well though.

Opetaia is clinical, a surgeon with sledgehammers in his hands, looking for the precise shot that will crumple this Italian bull.

Opetaia misses with an overhand right as the bell goes.

There is some blood around the Italian’s eye.

Opetaia looks very focused in the corner, and relaxed in the ring.

He flashes a right, now a left.

Now he misses a left hook that would have punched a hole into a nuclear reactor.

Squeo comes in on the inside and lands a hook to the body.

Opetaia is closing the ring off, cutting it down and now there is an exchange, desperation from Squeo.

Good right from Squeo! Over the top!

Opetaia with a solid right that the bull eats up! Very nice!

Good shot from Squeo with the right but Opetaia lands back!

Opetaia is on the front foot but Squeo is not stopping his swings here.

Left from Opetaia lands.

Squeo swings but that’s a vicious body shot from Opetaia.

Opetaia always on the front foot, landing shots nicely.

He’s taking a couple but this is all Opetaia and all power.

Good round from the champion.

An attentive three minutes to start, can Opetaia open up a bit here?

A left lands down the pipe from Opetaia.

Another left flashes just short of Squeo’s face.

Squeo comes forward and lands to the body of a backtracking Opetaia.

Opetaia feints, Squeo backs away quick.

Then the Italian charges in like his nickname, the Red Bull, suggests.

Clever work so far from Opetaia.

Left from Opetaia flashes the face of Squeo.

Squeo gets Opetaia on the ropes and the Italian lands a shot or two.

Squeo has put the left hook away and is looking for the body in close.

Opetaia was not clean with it, but got an upper cut away.

Good left from Opetaia lands.

Squeo lands back to the cheek of Opetaia, but Opetaia won’t mind countering.

Opens up a little bit there and although there was some good work from this pugnacious Italian, Opetaia looks in control.

Opetaia never stopped stalking the corner once he made his way into the ring.

You get the sense he’s ready to finish this quickly.

The size disparity in the ring really is glaring.

Squeo is on the attack though, throwing out some punches towards the guard of the backtracking Opetaia.

Opetaia takes some centre ring, Squeo tries to come forward to meet him and walks into a shot from Opetaia, never getting close to throwing his own left hook.

Quick left from Opetaia.

A hook with the left from Opetaia.

Now Opetaia lands with a right to the chest.

Squeo tries to come forward again with a swinging left that looks wild – he’s a mile form landing it.

Squeo comes forward there though, a swinging orc with an axe to keep his giant opponent away.

Opetaia showing nice movement to keep out of trouble.

An uneventful fight, a good sighter for Opetaia.

And yet, would be hard for him to drop to light heavy.

Opetaia is speaking to the crowd through a screen, a monologue that includes all the big hits, that he is fighting for his name, his pride and for his family.

The crowd roars as he appears on the screen.

Now a series of Samoan warriors appear on the stage, twirling fire and flanking him as he walks to the ring in a gown inspired by his Samoan heritage.

Here comes the unbeaten Italian!

17 fights, 17 wins.

He is ranked 14 in the world by the IBF at cruiserweight, and is the rank outsider for this keep-busy fight.

But what an opportunity for the Italian from Puglia, who is known as The Red Bull, Il Toro Rosso.

Jai Opetaia (AUS)

IBF, The Ring World Cruiserweight champion

Record: 27-0 (21 KOs)

Weight: 90.45kg

Age: 29

Height: 188cm

Reach: 193cm

Claudio Squeo (ITA)

Former IBF European Cruiserweight champion

Record: 17-0 (9KOs)

Weight: 86.68kg

Age: 34

Height: 178cm

Before the fighters head to the ring, it’s time for the national anthems.

We start with Il Canto degli Italiani, followed by Sāmoa Tula’i.

And finally, Advance Australia Fair.

Jai Opetaia is a massive favourite in this fight.

He’s earned that right.

But he was caught a couple of times against David Nyika before he landed that crushing, devastating blow to end the fight.

Claudio Squeo cannot be discounted.

He is lighter, smaller and has less experience – Opetaia weighed in at 97kg at the second, rehydration weigh in, while Squeo didn’t even hit 90kg –  but you cannot discount this stocky Italian in pulling out an upset.

As we saw earlier this morning, it only takes one punch.

At yesterday’s weigh in on the Gold Coast, Jai Opetaia, already a heavy favourite, became even more nailed on in the eyes of the boxing public.

Opetaia weighed in just shy of the 200lb limit at 199.4lb (90.4kg).

Claudio Squero, meanwhile, topped the scales almost 10lbs lighter at just 191.1lb.

Squeo has never been a big cruiserweight — his Boxrec data is incomplete but he has never weighed more than 195.75lb for a fight before and that for his FPI cruiserweight title fight against Gabriele Guainella in 2022.

Nevertheless, Opetaia is still taking the Italian seriously.

“All these fights are dangerous,” Opetaia said.

“Every time I put my title on the line it’s dangerous.

“Especially against these guys who’ve got nothing to lose, everything to gain.

“He’s a little bomber that comes forward, wants to make it ugly.

“You have to take that seriously.”

Hey folks, guess what?

It’s finally time for the main event, and Jai Opetaia.

Here’s the judges scorecards.

77-75, 78-74, 77-75

All in favour of a relieved looking Conor Wallace.

That was a very tough test that never really caught fire.

He got the win, had to work for it, and now wants to continue moving on up.

But that was really quite poor.

A tight fight, against a very troubling opponent.

But it was not a great advert for the IBF’s number two-ranked light heavyweight.

I had it 78-74 to Wallace, but it could have been tighter.

Final round.

Safe to say this won’t be a fight many will remember fondly.

Wallace jabs towards the body.

Colin presses forward, Wallace darts back and then right out the way.

Wallace lands with a left, but then Colin lands to the body.

Wallace clubs Colin around the head and they tangle up.

Good left from Wallace lands, another good one though in response from Colin.

Wallace lands a solid left as Colin comes in.

Colin lands with some decent shots to the head! Wallace is struggling a little bit here because the Frenchman is really charging here!

Wallace responds!

Now Colin comes back!

Finally some action!

Colin lands with two shots! And again! Wallace is on the ropes!

That’s a good round to finish what had been a dire affair in the co-main.