- Jai Opetaia Could Face Deontay Wilder on Fury-Joshua Cardiff Bill
Former world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder could face unbeaten cruiserweight Jai Opetaia on the undercard of Tyson Fury’s long-awaited contest with Anthony Joshua in Cardiff.
Promoters are working on the proposed bout for the December 11 event at the Principality Stadium, although the contest has yet to be formally confirmed.
Dana White, who promotes Opetaia, said the Australian was likely to feature on the card and identified Wilder as one of the opponents under consideration.
“Jai Opetaia is more than likely going to be on the undercard,” White told Sky Sports. “[Wilder] is one that we’ve been talking about and working on.”
The match-up would represent Opetaia’s first high-level contest at heavyweight and one of the biggest risks of his unbeaten career.
Opetaia has established himself as a leading fighter at cruiserweight, combining speed, movement and aggressive combinations. Moving up to face Wilder, however, would expose him to one of the most dangerous punchers in heavyweight boxing.
Wilder, 40, is a former WBC heavyweight champion whose knockout power has defined much of his career. Despite suffering defeats during the later stages of his career, the American remains capable of ending a fight with a single right hand.
White acknowledged that the proposed contest would carry considerable risk for Opetaia, particularly given the Australian’s position in the cruiserweight division.
“The guy’s willing to fight anybody,” White said. “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.”
Opetaia would be expected to return to cruiserweight after the proposed heavyweight appearance. His long-term target remains a meeting with David Benavidez, who is considered one of the leading fighters in the 200lb division.
“That’s the fight he really wants,” White said of a possible contest with Benavidez. “He wants to stay active, he wants to fight and he doesn’t care if it’s at heavyweight or wherever, he’s ready to go.”
The Wilder contest would offer Opetaia considerably greater commercial exposure before a possible return to cruiserweight. However, it would also raise questions about whether the financial and promotional benefits justify the physical risk of facing a naturally larger opponent.
Wilder has previously been closely connected to both fighters in the main event.
He fought Fury three times in a heavyweight rivalry that produced one draw and two victories for the British boxer. Wilder also came close to securing a lucrative contest with Joshua, but those plans collapsed after the American lost to Joseph Parker.
His most recent appearance ended in a points victory over British contender Derek Chisora at London’s O2 Arena in April.
A bout against Opetaia would give Wilder another prominent role in British boxing while allowing the Australian to test whether his speed and technical ability can offset the American’s size and punching power.
The proposed fight would add another layer of heavyweight intrigue to an event already centred on Fury and Joshua, two former world champions whose meeting has been anticipated for several years.
However, negotiations are continuing, and neither the promoters nor the fighters have announced a completed agreement.
The difference is important: Opetaia is expected to appear on the Cardiff bill, but Wilder remains a prospective opponent rather than a confirmed one.
