Deontay Wilder vs Jai Opetaia: the reported undercard fight on Fury vs Joshua

Deontay Wilder is trending in Britain because of a reported fight with Jai Opetaia on the undercard of Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua. The main event is set for 11 December at Cardiff's Principality Stadium, but Wilder's opponent has not been officially confirmed [1] [2].

What is confirmed about the main event

Fury vs Joshua is for the WBA "Super" heavyweight title. It was announced by the promoter Turki Alalshikh and Netflix, which will broadcast the fight, and the venue is the Principality Stadium, which holds about 80,000 people [3].

The fight has had problems. In late September Fury said it was "in jeopardy" because Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn were trying to pull out [3]. Those claims were made before the undercard reports, and they show why any second bout on the card is still provisional.

What is reported about Wilder and Opetaia

The first report came on 10 October, when Roundtable wrote that Wilder was being lined up to fight Opetaia as an undercard bout. The article does not name the outlet behind the report and says "if reports that Deontay Wilder is heading to Wales are true" [2].

Later, boxing journalist Dan Rafael wrote on 30 October, citing a source, that the deal was agreed but not yet signed, with Wilder vs Opetaia on the Fury-Joshua card on 11 December [1]. Opetaia is described as undefeated, with 31 wins and 24 knockouts, and as a cruiserweight champion who has been expected to move up to heavyweight [1] [2].

Who the fighters are

Wilder is 6ft 7in tall and recently beat Derek Chisora, according to Roundtable. The same article refers to his trilogy with Tyson Fury [2]. Opetaia is an Australian cruiserweight, and Roundtable says there has been talk for some time of him moving up to heavyweight [2].

What is not yet known

Nothing in these reports says the Wilder bout is signed or officially confirmed. None names a title for it, and neither report gives a venue or broadcaster for that bout. The Boxing News report depends on one journalist's source [1].

What to watch next

The first thing to watch is whether the Wilder vs Opetaia deal is announced by the promoters. The second is whether Fury and Joshua's promoters settle the dispute that Fury described in September [3]. A win for Wilder could also set up a later fight with the winner of the main event, Roundtable notes, though that is an opinion about the future and not a reported plan [2].