Reports of the fights that could appear on the undercard of the blockbuster Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua event are beginning to emerge.
One proposed bout is a heavyweight clash between Jai Opetaia and Deontay Wilder and now the longest-reigning cruiserweight champion of all time, Johnny Nelson, has shared his prediction for the contest.
Opetaia has twice been stripped of his IBF cruiserweight world title, but is mandated for a shot at the victor of a December three-belt unification between David Benavidez and Michal Cieslak.
Meanwhile, Wilder had been linked as the opponent for Oleksandr Usyk’s ‘farewell fight’ in New York in March, but it appears as though talks for that clash have since collapsed.
Now, it is being reported that Opetaia and Wilder could collide in December, with the Aussie willing to make his heavyweight debut against ‘The Bronze Bomber’, who held the WBC heavyweight world title for over five years.
Speaking to talkSPORT Boxing, Nelson, who held the WBO cruiserweight belt for over seven years, admitted that ‘he loves that fight’ for Opetaia, believing that the heavyweight newcomer could score a ‘massive knockout’ if tasked with the American.
“I love it, I think it is the perfect fight for him [Opetaia]. It’s the perfect fight for him to dip his toe into the heavyweight pool because Wilder was a name, Wilder was a dangerous man, Wilder has still got that reputation, Wilder is still the one that can get people to watch.
“Jai Opetaia puts his punches together well and could create a massive flash-style knockout if he does it right because Wilder is no longer the fighter that he was. I love it, at this stage.
“If Wilder had 60% of what he had, then I would say ‘Jai, you should probably think twice about it because he is used to being in with the bigger guys,’ but I love it, I think it is a great fight, I think it is smart.”
Manny Pacquiao is also currently being linked to an appearance on what looks set to be a huge undercard when Fury and Joshua go toe-to-toe on Friday, December 11.
