The co-main event for the long-awaited heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua on Friday, Dec. 11, has all the makings to be just as explosive. Unbeaten "Ring" and Zuffa Boxing cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia (31-0, 24 KOs) will move up to heavyweight to challenge former champion and historic knockout artist Deontay Wilder (45-4-1, 43 KOs) in an intriguing crossroads bout set for 12 rounds. The rumored fight was confirmed separately on social media Wednesday by Saudi Arabian financier Turki Alalshikh of "The Ring" and Zuffa Boxing's Dana White.
The Fury-Joshua event, headlined by the pair of former heavyweight champions in what has been called the biggest boxing match in British history, will take place inside Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, and air live to a worldwide audience on Netflix. Wilder vs Opetaia is OFFICIAL in Cardiff, Wales. Wilder has a 95% knockout rate and Opetaia is undefeated 31-0. #FuryJoshua is LIVE on December 11th on @netflix pic.twitter.com/mxKdjPV4yv "Wilder is one of the most dangerous punchers in the sport and Opetaia is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in boxing and undefeated," White said.
"And here's an interesting fact for everybody -- these two guys have a combined 67 knockouts. You do not want to miss this fight!" The fight is promoted by Sela, the Saudi Arabian entertainment and hospitality company, in association with Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions and Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Sport. In addition, despite an extended legal battle that moved the fight from its original site of New York's Madison Square Garden to the U.K., White and Zuffa Boxing will produce the event for Alalshikh and "The Ring." A 2012 Australian Olympian, the 6-foot-2 southpaw Opetaia will be giving up four inches in height and seven inches in reach to the 41-year-old Wilder, who has long been considered one of the biggest punchers in the history of the sport.
Opetaia, 31, formerly held the IBF cruiserweight title before being stripped of the belt when he signed with Zuffa earlier this year. The native of Sydney outpointed Brandon Glanton in March to win the inaugural Zuffa title before stopping WBC titleholder Noel Mikaelian, who was stripped of his title ahead of the fight, in September. Wilder, a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics and went on to capture the WBC heavyweight title in 2015 when, despite a broken right hand, he claimed a unanimous decision over Bermane Stiverne.
Wilder would defend the WBC title 10 times over the next five years until he lost back-to-back fights to Fury as part of their trilogy. After dropping consecutive decisions to divisional elites Joseph Parker and Zhilel Zhang in recent years, Wilder has rebounded for a pair of wins including an exciting split decision victory over 12 rounds against Derek Chisora in April.
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