Wilder fights Opetaia on Fury-Joshua undercard in Cardiff

Summarised from 5 outlets · Updated 4 Nov, 20:11 · Archive

Deontay Wilder will fight Jai Opetaia on the undercard of Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua on 11 December at Cardiff's Principality Stadium.

Deontay Wilder will face Jai Opetaia on the undercard of Tyson Fury's long-awaited meeting with Anthony Joshua on 11 December at Cardiff's Principality Stadium. The bout will serve as the co-main event for the all-British heavyweight showdown.

Opetaia, 31, is an unbeaten cruiserweight champion from Australia with a professional record of 31 wins and 24 knockouts. The southpaw held the IBF cruiserweight title after defeating Mairis Briedis in 2022 and has since dominated his division. This will be his first heavyweight bout, a significant step up in weight class. Wilder, 41, is a former WBC heavyweight champion who held the title from 2015 to 2020. He has a professional record of 45 wins, four defeats and one draw, with 43 victories by knockout. The American is regarded as one of the most feared and explosive punchers in boxing history.

Wilder's career has been marked by an epic trilogy with Fury, with whom he fought three times between 2018 and 2020, resulting in a draw and two defeats. The American had also been close to facing Joshua but a knockout loss to Zhilei Zhang in June 2024 appeared to derail that potential bout. More recently, Wilder defeated Derek Chisora by points in London in April.

Opetaia's promoter Dana White told Sky Sports that the fight represents a significant challenge for the Australian. 'It's a very dangerous fight for him considering where he sits in his division right now,' White said. 'But he's a fighter; he'll fight anybody, even at heavyweight with a guy who hits as hard as Wilder does.' White added that Opetaia wants to stay active and is willing to fight regardless of weight class.

White also indicated that Opetaia is likely to return to cruiserweight after the Wilder bout. The fighter's ultimate target is unbeaten American champion David Benavidez, considered alongside Opetaia as one of the two best fighters in the cruiserweight division. 'That's the fight he really wants,' White said of the Benavidez matchup.

The main event between Fury, 38, and Joshua, 37, represents a heavyweight collision almost a decade in the making. The fight will stream live worldwide on Netflix. Tickets for the main event sold out in under an hour despite the ring walks being expected around 01:00 GMT on Saturday, 12 December, following a short live music performance.

How it is being reported

• Opetaia moves to heavyweight to fight former world champ WilderJai Opetaia has been handed the fight of his life as he gambles on moving up to heavyweight to take on thunder-hitting former world champion Deontay Wilder.ABC News Australia · 4 Nov, 20:00
• Deontay Wilder to face unbeaten Opetaia on Fury v Joshua undercard in CardiffWilder, 41, has won 43 of his 45 victories by knockout Australian cruiserweight champion moves up in weight Cardiff showdown will stream worldwide on Netflix Deontay Wilder, the former World Boxing Council heavyweight champion, will face unbeaten Australian cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetaia on the undercard of Tyson Fury’s showdown with Anthony Joshua in Cardiff on 11 December, organizers announced on Wednesday. Opetaia will move up to heavyweight to take on one of history’s most devastating punchers at the Principality Stadium with the event streaming live worldwide on Netflix.…Guardian Sport · 4 Nov, 18:53
• Wilder to fight Opetaia on Fury v Joshua undercardAmerican Deontay Wilder will fight Australia's Jai Opetaia on the undercard of Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua in December at Cardiff's Principality Stadium.BBC News · 4 Nov, 16:54
• Wilder v Opetaia joins Fury vs Joshua undercard live on NetflixTyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will finally clash on 11 December, boxing in Cardiff after almost a decade of build-upIndependent Sport · 4 Nov, 15:17
• Wilder to fight Opetaia on Fury vs Joshua undercardDeontay Wilder will fight Jai Opetaia on the undercard of Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on December 11.Sky Sports · 4 Nov, 15:10

In this story: Deontay Wilder · Jai Opetaia · Tyson Fury · Anthony Joshua · David Benavidez · Dana White · Principality Stadium · Cardiff

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