Boxing: Wilder vs. Opetaia set as co-main event to Fury-Joshua

The 11 December card in Cardiff now has its second fight. Deontay Wilder will take on Jai Opetaia at heavyweight, as co-main event to Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua at the Principality Stadium. The Ring announced the bout on Wednesday 4 November, according to ESPN. The card streams live on Netflix. The organisers have not said whether a title will be on the line.

A former champion against an unbeaten fighter

At 40, Wilder is 45-4-1 with 43 knockouts. The American held the WBC heavyweight title from 2015 to 2020 and fought Tyson Fury three times, one of the rivalries that shaped the division over the past decade. The late stage of his career has been patchier: he is 2-2 since 2023. His last win came in April in London, a split decision over Derek Chisora.

Opetaia, 31, has never lost: 31-0 with 24 stoppages. The Australian ruled the cruiserweight division for several seasons and sits ninth in ESPN's pound-for-pound rankings. On 12 September in Las Vegas he stopped WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian, but did not take the belt because of a dispute with the sanctioning body. He is signed to Zuffa Boxing, Dana White's boxing promotion.

A gamble on moving up

Cardiff marks Opetaia's step up to heavyweight, where there is no weight limit. Across the ring stands a man known for the power of his right hand, which makes this a real test. For Wilder, beating an unbeaten fighter ranked among the world's best would put him back in the title picture.

The Cardiff card

Fury and Joshua, two former British world heavyweight champions, finally meet after years of failed talks. The rest of the card has not been announced. The event page on Sport-Fight.net will be updated with start times and broadcast details once they are published.