Jai Opetaia’s proposed fight with Deontay Wilder risks cheapening the Tyson Fury–Anthony Joshua bill rather than giving overseas viewers a stronger reason to watch the December 11 event in Cardiff.

The matchup is being explored for the Netflix card, according to Mike Coppinger’s reporting. No undercard fights have been confirmed, but the direction raises questions about an event already relying on two former heavyweight champions fighting well beyond their peaks.

Adding Wilder would give the show another recognizable name. It would also add another heavyweight whose reputation has outlasted his ability to compete at the highest level.

Wilder’s decline has been evident since his rematch with Fury in 2020. He hasn’t registered a solid win over a high-level opponent in years, leaving little recent evidence that he can provide the kind of test his name once promised. The possibility of one big right hand remains part of his appeal, but organizers cannot build a quality supporting bill around memories of his punching power.

Opetaia brings skill and ambition, yet he is a cruiserweight who has not established himself against leading heavyweights. Facing a badly faded Wilder creates an unusual spectacle: a smaller fighter testing a new division against a former champion whose remaining capabilities are uncertain.

An Opetaia victory could increase his exposure without answering much about how he would handle today’s best heavyweights. Wilder’s name would look useful on the record, but the version standing across from him would determine the value of the win.

There is also a limit to the audience Opetaia currently brings. He has a following in Australia and among dedicated boxing fans, but casual viewers in the U.S. have little familiarity with him. It is doubtful that his involvement alone would persuade large numbers of overseas viewers to watch.

That leaves Wilder doing much of the selling for a proposed fight whose competitive appeal depends on how much he has left.

Fury–Joshua already asks viewers to invest in an overdue meeting between faded stars. Its supporting card needs strong, competitive matchups with consequences of their own. Adding another declining heavyweight against a top cruiserweight risks making Cardiff look even more dependent on famous names from the past.

Moses It will hurt has made up his mind whether or not he will be sticking with trainer Ben Davison for his next fight.

Davison received criticism in the aftermath of Itauma’s maiden world title fight against Filip Hrgovic in Augustwith the youngster initially dominating the action but tiring as the rounds went on, with his exhaustion leading to a ninth round stoppage defeat.

Itauma is set to return to action in January, with some fans wondering whether or not he would look to switch trainers ahead of the bout, but promoter Frank Warren has told Playbook Boxing that the 21-year-old will be remaining with his current coach.

“There has been a conversation, and the proof will be in the pudding. He’s staying with Ben and the team. That’s where he is at. You’ve got to judge him now on his results, which is what we’ll do. AJ is back with Ben for his next fight, and there is a reason for that.

“It is always the case. If a fighter is winning, the trainer is great. If he gets beat, [he’s not great]. I signed off on that fight. At the end of the day, if any of them fight, that’s down to me.

“I accept my responsibility for that, and everyone has to accept responsibility for it. You expect certain things to happen in fights and certain things to happen in training. It is what it is. We have to move and move forward. It is exciting times.”

It means that alongside Itauma, Davison’s stable now also consists of Fabio Wardley, who faces Daniel Dubois in a WBO heavyweight title rematch next weekand Anthony Joshua, who has returned to Davison ahead of his battle with Tyson Fury in December.

Oscar De La Hoya called Keith Thurman “over the hill” while explaining why Golden Boy is discussing him as Vergil Ortiz Jr.’s next opponent. That is a rough way to sell a fight, especially when the explanation ends with the promoter apologizing for being involved.

“Keith Thurman, yes, he’s a good fighter. He’s not the great fighter he was before. He’s over the hill,” De La Hoya told AB Boxing News in Chicago.

De La Hoya described Thurman as “almost like the only choice” for Ortiz, pointing to his name and experience. He also said Ortiz has been out for a year and could use the fight to get back into the groove.

That explains what Golden Boy hopes Ortiz gets from the matchup. It does considerably less for anyone being asked to watch it.

Thurman’s name is the selling point, but De La Hoya openly acknowledges that the fighter attached to it has faded. The proposed bout sounds like a comeback exercise for Ortiz dressed up with an opponent people remember from better days.

“I know the fight is not one of those championship-level, you know, undefeated versus undefeated,” De La Hoya said. “It’s not a fighter who is in his prime. I know what the situation is, but it is what it is.”

Ortiz needing rounds after a long absence is a reasonable argument. Whether Thurman can provide the kind of work that prepares him for stronger opposition is another question. Beating a recognizable veteran does not automatically tell us how ready Ortiz is for the division’s best.

De La Hoya’s claim that Thurman was the only available fight also needs more explanation. He did not name the other opponents considered or explain what prevented those bouts.

“I’m sorry to be part of it, but the Vergil Ortiz–Keith Thurman fight, if it happens, it’s the only fight that was available,” he said.

The fight remains under discussion. Already, its own promoter sounds resigned to it. If Golden Boy moves ahead, selling Thurman as a serious threat will be difficult after De La Hoya has supplied the argument against him.