Wilder Explores Opetaia Fight for Fury Joshua Cardiff Card

Deontay Wilder could return to the heavyweight spotlight against unbeaten cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia on December 11, 2026, as organizers explore a matchup for the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua undercard at Principality Stadium in Cardiff. The proposal comes after negotiations for a potential Wilder fight with Oleksandr Usyk reportedly collapsed, according to boxing media reports.

Mike Coppinger of Ring Magazine reported on October 8 that discussions were underway for Wilder and Opetaia to meet at heavyweight. Neither fighter has signed a contract, and the proposed bout has not been officially announced.

Coppinger outlined the potential matchup and clarified its relationship to Opetaia's other plans in a social media post.

"A Jai Opetaia-Deontay Wilder heavyweight fight is being explored for the Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua undercard Dec. 11 in Cardiff, sources tell @ringmagazine. This wouldn't impact any potential showdown with Benavidez, who's fighting Cieslak on Dec. 5." Coppinger reported.

Sky Sports also indicated that Wilder could appear on the Cardiff card, while Yahoo Sports reported that neither boxer had committed to the proposed fight. The only confirmed bout for the December 11 event is Fury against Joshua, with Netflix scheduled to stream the show.

Boxing News reported that discussions between Wilder and Usyk were no longer progressing. TalkSPORT cited Dan Rafael describing the negotiations as "dead in the water." The proposed contest had been targeted for March 2027, according to TalkSPORT.

No official explanation has been provided for the breakdown in negotiations. Usyk's team had previously identified Wilder as a priority opponent, with team member Sergey Lapin indicating in September that a potential third fight with Fury would come afterward, according to Boxing News.

Wilder enters the latest round of speculation with a professional record of 45 wins, four losses and one draw, including 43 knockouts. Boxing News reported that he last fought on April 4, defeating Derek Chisora by split decision at London's O2 Arena after knocking him down twice.

Opetaia, meanwhile, holds an unbeaten 31-0 record with 24 knockouts. ESPN reported that he stopped Noel Mikaelian in the ninth round on September 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, retaining his Ring and Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight titles.

The proposed matchup would mark Opetaia's first fight at heavyweight. Boxing News and Yahoo Sports reported that the move would be temporary, allowing him to pursue the Wilder bout before returning to cruiserweight competition.

Opetaia has also been linked to a future contest with David Benavidez. ABC reported that Benavidez entered the ring after Opetaia's September 12 victory and verbally agreed to a fight scheduled for May 5, 2027, in Las Vegas. No contract has been signed for that matchup.

Before potentially facing Opetaia, Benavidez is scheduled to meet Krzysztof Cieslak on December 5 in a cruiserweight unification bout, according to BoxingScene. BoxingNews24 reported that the winner is required under a WBC order to face Opetaia next.

Usyk's next opponent also remains unconfirmed. Boxing News reported that he stopped Rico Verhoeven in the 11th round in May, subsequently vacated his WBC, IBF and WBA titles, and announced plans for one remaining fight.

In September, Usyk publicly challenged Fury, who is scheduled to face Joshua on December 11. No agreement has been reported for a Usyk-Fury trilogy or a potential Usyk-Benavidez fight.

The December 11 undercard remains largely unsettled. Names including Manny Pacquiao, Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez and Keyshawn Davis have been floated as possible participants, according to Punch Junkie, but none has been officially confirmed for the event.