Back on 8 October we asked the question.
Is Jai Opetaia really stepping up to face Deontay Wilder?
Well… Dana White just answered it.
The co-main of Fury vs Joshua is set. December 11. Principality Stadium, Cardiff. Live on Netflix worldwide.
Australia's unbeaten cruiserweight juggernaut — The Ring Magazine champion at 200 lb, 31-0 with 24 knockouts — is moving up to heavyweight for the first time.
Standing opposite him: the Bronze Bomber. Wilder (45-4-1, 43 KOs). Former WBC heavyweight champion. One of the hardest punchers the sport has ever seen.
Combined knockouts between them? Sixty-seven.
White himself called it "a very dangerous fight" for Opetaia. Then he added the line that tells you everything about the Gold Coast southpaw:
"He's a fighter; he'll fight anybody, even at heavyweight with a guy who hits as hard as Wilder does."
Wilder is 41. Last fight was a points win over Derek Chisora in London in April. He's lost four of his last seven.
Opetaia is ten years younger. Last time out, in Nevada in September, he stopped Noel Mikaelian in the ninth — then looked ringside and called out David Benavidez.
That's the fight he really wants. White says they've "got to figure that one out".
So Cardiff is the detour.
Walk into the fire with the Bronze Bomber. Then come home and chase the Mexican Monster.
That's the plan, anyway.
We'll leave you to draw your own conclusions !
🇦🇺 JAI OPETAIA (31-0, 24 KOs) v DEONTAY WILDER (45-4-1, 43 KOs) 🇺🇸
🥊 Heavyweight | 12 rounds (scheduled)
📅 11 December 2026
📍 Principality Stadium, Cardiff
📺 Netflix (global)
Stay tuned !
December 24, 2024
Dear Partners,
I would like to take this moment to first wish you and your family a safe and blessed holiday season.
This annual report serves as a benchmark for our progress and a commitment to transparency in our operations. In 2024, a notable decline occurred in the number of professional boxing events held domestically. This downturn was primarily attributed to the cessation of grassroots events by VSP Promotions, a key promoter that played a crucial role in introducing new talent to the domestic professional boxing scene.
The challenges faced in organizing professional boxing events in Vietnam intensified in 2024 compared to the previous year, a reflection of the current market conditions. We anticipate this trend to persist in 2025 due to the continued existence of an unsupportive environment for event organizers, fostered by the local amateur boxing federation.
VBO organized the gathering of 10 commissions in Asia in 8/2024. It is our view that Asia has a fundamental challenge in how boxing is managed and supervised. Standardization and coherent cooperation models that have actionable and measurable outcomes will need to be developed in order to create more regional opportunities for the industry participants.
DOMESTIC REPORT 2024
INTERNATIONAL REPORT 2024
The VBO remains dedicated to securing international fight opportunities for Vietnamese boxers within safe environments. While the organization provides recommendations, the final decision to accept a fight rests solely with the boxers and their coaching teams.
OFFICIALS OF VBO REPORT 2024
VBO collects detailed performance data of each official in their assigned roles at every event. We compile these data for use towards training requirements to further improve their performance.
We hope that 2025 will bring more opportunities for the boxers between partnering countries and jointly continue to improve the quality of our officials. Have a wonderful holiday season! See you all in 2025.
Sincerely,
Lim Song
President of Vietnam Boxing Organization
