Former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is poised to face unbeaten cruiserweight star Jai Opetaia on the undercard of the highly anticipated Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua blockbuster. The co-main event is scheduled for December 11 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Dana White, who promotes Opetaia, confirmed the potential matchup to Sky Sports, stating that the Australian brawler is “more than likely” to appear on the bill alongside the Fury-Joshua headliner. “Wilder is one that we’ve been talking about and working on,” White noted regarding the negotiations.
The bout would mark a significant step up in weight for Opetaia, representing his first high-level contest in the heavyweight division. Wilder, now 40 years old, remains one of the division’s most feared punchers despite stepping away from the sport for periods following his WBC title reign.
White praised his fighter’s versatility and courage, remarking, “The guy’s willing to fight anybody. It’s a very dangerous fight for him considering where he sits in his division right now. But he’s a fighter; he’ll fight anybody, even at heavyweight with a guy who hits as hard as Wilder does.”
While the challenge against Wilder is substantial, it is not intended to be Opetaia’s permanent move up the weight scale. He is expected to return to cruiserweight afterward to pursue his ultimate target: a unification bout with David Benavidez. The two are widely regarded as the top competitors in the 200-pound division.
Wait, does this mean Fury and Joshua actually fight this December? I thought that was still uncertain.
Wilder is forty though. Is Opetaia really ready for that kind of power at heavyweight? Seems risky.
A crossover fight like this could generate massive pay-per-view numbers. Exciting times for boxing fans.