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Boxing-Wilder to face cruiserweight champion Opetaia on Fury-Joshua undercard

By Thomson Reuters Nov 4, 2026 | 10:22 AM

Nov 4 (Reuters) – American former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder will face Australia’s undefeated cruiserweight world champion Jai ​Opetaia on the undercard of ‌Tyson Fury’s showdown with Anthony Joshua in Cardiff on December 11, organisers said on Wednesday.

• Opetaia will move up to heavyweight to take ‌on ​one of the division’s ⁠most feared punchers ⁠on a card headed by the long-awaited meeting between Fury and Joshua at the Principality Stadium

• Wilder, 41, held ​the WBC heavyweight title from 2015 to 2020 and owns a 45-4-1 ⁠professional record

• Opetaia, 31, ⁠is unbeaten in 31 professional ​bouts and enters the contest as one ​of the sport’s leading cruiserweights

• The ‌clash between Fury and Joshua, announced in September, has been billed as the biggest fight in British boxing history ⁠and has generated huge interest among fans

• Tickets for the long-awaited heavyweight contest sold out within ⁠an ‌hour of going on sale, ⁠British media reported last month

• ​The ‌fight will mark the first ​meeting between ⁠former heavyweight champions Fury and Joshua, ending years of speculation over a matchup

• The event will stream globally on Netflix

(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru;Editing by ​Christian Radnedge)