Fury vs Joshua Undercard: Wilder vs Opetaia Among Five Possible Fights

Deontay Wilder v Jai Opetaia leads a list of five possible fights for the Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua undercard in Cardiff on December 11th, according to respected boxing reporter Darshan Desai of EverythingBoxing. Desai shared the list on X on Thursday, and it reads like a card worthy of the biggest night British boxing has seen in years.

None of these fights is signed yet, and Desai is clear they are possible bouts rather than done deals. But if even three of the five land, the undercard alone would headline most shows this year. Desai is known for breaking fight announcements and news before the official news breaks, so we’d hang our hat on 1 or 2 certainly making the undercard.

https://x.com/everythingboxi2/status/2110619756080369722

Fury vs Joshua Undercard: What Are The Five Possible Fights?

#	Possible fight	Status
1	Deontay Wilder v Jai Opetaia	Possible, not confirmed
2	Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez v Christian Medina	Possible, not confirmed
3	Manny Pacquiao v Joe Cordina or another opponent	Possible, not confirmed
4	Joe Cordina v Manny Pacquiao or another opponent	Possible, not confirmed
5	Justis Huni v Richard Riakporhe or David Adeleye	Possible, not confirmed

The main event itself is set. Fury and Joshua meet at the Principality Stadium on December 11th, live on Netflix, and the tickets went in under an hour, as we covered in Fury v Joshua tickets sell out as prices reach £13,128.

Could Wilder vs Opetaia Really Happen In Cardiff?

This is the one that jumps off the list for me. Wilder, the former WBC heavyweight champion and one of the biggest punchers of his generation, against Opetaia, the unbeaten Australian cruiserweight star, is a proper clash of styles. Talks over the fight have been going on for weeks, as we reported in Wilder v Opetaia explored for the Fury v Joshua undercard.

Wilder vs Verhoeven Is Also Possible

It is not the only option on the table for Wilder either. Rico Verhoeven has said he accepted an offer to fight him on the same night, and is waiting on a reply, which you can read about in Wilder offered Verhoeven fight on the Fury v Joshua undercard. Wilder cannot fight both, so one of those two conversations is going to end in disappointment.

A Deserved Welsh Homecoming: Pacquiao vs Cordina

Two of Desai’s five fights hinge on the same pairing, Manny Pacquiao and Joe Cordina, with “somebody else” listed as the alternative for both. That tells you talks are live but nobody is nailed on yet.

Cordina is Cardiff born and bred and a former IBF super-featherweight world champion, so putting him on a stadium card in his home city makes perfect sense. Pacquiao, the only eight-division world champion in history, would bring a global name to the undercard. Amir Khan has already confirmed he has held talks of his own with Pacquiao, but played down any link to this card, as we covered in Khan confirms Pacquiao talks.

Who Else Is In The Frame For The Fury vs Joshua Undercard?

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez against Christian Medina would bring one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world to Cardiff, and that kind of fight would give the card real depth below the heavyweights.

At heavyweight, Australia’s Justis Huni is listed against either Richard Riakporhe or David Adeleye. Either British opponent would make it a domestic-flavoured fight with a lot riding on it, and a win on a night this size could fast-track the winner towards the top of the division.

Your Questions Answered

Who is on the Fury vs Joshua undercard?

Nothing on the undercard has been officially confirmed yet. Boxing reporter Darshan Desai has listed five possible fights: Deontay Wilder v Jai Opetaia, Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez v Christian Medina, Manny Pacquiao v Joe Cordina or another opponent, and Justis Huni v Richard Riakporhe or David Adeleye.

When and where is Fury vs Joshua?

Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua takes place at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on December 11th. The fight is live on Netflix around the world, and tickets sold out within an hour of going on sale.

Is Deontay Wilder fighting on the Fury vs Joshua card?

Not confirmed. Wilder has been linked with Jai Opetaia, and Rico Verhoeven says he has accepted an offer to fight him on the same night. Neither fight has been signed, so it is a case of watching this space.

Full credit to Darshan Desai (@EverythingBoxi2) for the list. For everything building up to fight night, follow our boxing news and the WBA “super” title talk around the main event.