American Deontay Wilder will face Australian Jai Opetaia on the undercard of Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua in December.
The fight will serve as the co-main event for the long-awaited all-British heavyweight bout, with the WBA ‘super’ heavyweight title on the line at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Opetaia, 31, the WBA’s undefeated “regular” cruiserweight champion, will move up to heavyweight for the first time to fight Wilder, a former world champion with 43 knockouts.
Wilder (45-4-1, 43 KOs) is hoping to re-establish himself among the heavyweight elite, while Opetaia (31-0, 24 KOs) could be eyeing a new challenge, after years of dominance at cruiserweight.
Wilder, 41, held the WBC heavyweight title from 2015 to 2020 and is considered one of the most feared punchers of his generation.
The American also endured an epic trilogy with Fury, but came out on the losing side with a draw and two losses.
Wilder was also set to face Joshua, but a knockout loss to China’s Zhilei Zhang in June 2024 derailed the potential fight.
Tickets for the main event sold out in less than an hour, although ring walks are expected to begin around 01:00 GMT on Saturday December 12, following a short live music concert, and the stadium will remain open until 03:30.
The remaining fights on the undercard are yet to be announced, with Wales’ former IBF super featherweight champion Joe Cordina believed to be in negotiations to fight Manny Pacquiao.
Gn sports
