American boxer Deontay Wilder is set to face Australia’s Jai Opetaia on the undercard of the much-anticipated Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua heavyweight clash in December. The fight, taking place at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, will act as the co-main event alongside the main heavyweight title bout for the WBA ‘super’ heavyweight championship.
Opetaia, who is the undefeated WBA ‘regular’ cruiserweight champion at 31 years old, will make his heavyweight debut against Wilder, a former world champion known for his 43 knockouts. Wilder (45-4-1, 43 KOs) aims to regain his position among the heavyweight elite, while Opetaia (31-0, 24 KOs) looks to challenge himself beyond his dominant cruiserweight career.
At 41, Wilder held the WBC heavyweight title between 2015 and 2020 and is recognized as one of the most powerful punchers in recent boxing history. He also engaged in a memorable trilogy with Tyson Fury, though he failed to secure a win, ending with one draw and two losses.
Previously, Wilder was close to a fight against Anthony Joshua, but his knockout loss to Chinese boxer Zhilei Zhang in June 2024 disrupted those plans. Despite the late hour, tickets for the Fury-Joshua showdown sold out within an hour. The event will start with a brief live music segment around 01:00 GMT on Saturday, December 12, and the stadium will remain open until 03:30. Other undercard fights are yet to be confirmed, with discussions underway for Welsh former IBF super-featherweight holder Joe Cordina potentially facing Manny Pacquiao.
Why is cruiserweight champion Opetaia stepping up to fight heavyweight Wilder?
This match marks Opetaia’s first high-profile bout at heavyweight after dominating the cruiserweight division and being a former IBF titleholder. However, Opetaia’s recent switch to Zuffa Boxing has introduced complications; although he stopped WBC champion Noel Mikaelian in September, he could not claim that title due to sanctions issues. Following his victory over Mikaelian, Opetaia fought David Benavidez and may still pursue another cruiserweight fight if Benavidez succeeds in his three-belt unification against Michal Cieslak.
For Wilder, this fight is an opportunity to notch a significant win against an undefeated opponent. Despite losing two of his last four matches, Wilder secured a split decision victory over Britain’s Derek Chisora in April, showing he remains competitive at the highest level.
Fan Take: This matchup is a thrilling opportunity for fans to witness a rising cruiserweight star test himself in boxing’s heavyweight division while giving Wilder a chance to reclaim his spotlight. The outcome could shake up heavyweight rankings and inject fresh excitement into the sport’s evolving landscape.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
