Derek Chisora delivers brutal prediction for Deontay Wilder vs Jai Opetaia

On December 11 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will finally meet in a heavyweight contest, with the WBA “super” heavyweight title on the line. The entire event will be promoted collaboratively by Sela, Matchroom Boxing, and Queensberry Promotions. The card will stream exclusively on Netflix. Ahead of this card, British heavyweight Derek Chisora spoke to DAZN News, where he gave his brutal prediction for the co-main event of Deontay Wilder vs Jai Opetaia. 

Deontay Wilder vs Jai Opetaia set for Dec. 11 showdown

Wilder (45-4-1, 43 KOs) has built a reputation as one of the most feared punchers in the history of heavyweight boxing. His right hand was dynamite for several years, helping him secure many eye-catching KO wins against Luiz Ortiz x2 and Dominic Breazeale, among others. He is most commonly thought of regarding his taxing trilogy with Tyson Fury.

Opetaia (31-0, 24 KOs) is one of the best-known cruiserweights and the current Ring magazine and former two-time cruiserweight world champion. Despite his obvious achievements, it feels like Opetaia has struggled to land the biggest fights throughout his career. His best wins have come against David Nyika, Jack Massey, and Mairis Briedis.

British heavyweight Derek Chisora recently shared the ring with Wilder, losing via a split decision, and gave his prediction for Deontay Wilder vs Jai Opetaia:

“The fight with Jai Opetaia, Deontay Wilder will knock that f***ing weasel out,” Chisora told DAZN News. 

“Deontay’s going to knock him out.”

The Big Fight Weekend verdict

There’s no doubting Wilder is in the back end of his career, and Opetaia has yet to have that landmark fight. Is Deontay Wilder vs Jai Opetaia the fight we wanted? Probably not; Opetaia vs David Benavidez or Gilberto Ramirez would definitely appeal more. 

The move to heavyweight is an interesting one for Opetaia, and a fight on a card with this level of interest could give him the landmark fight he needs. The Aussie carries plenty of pop in his punches, and picks his spots well. At his best, he controls the distance effectively in his fights, and he will need to do this against Wilder to avoid his right hand.

If Wilder can establish his jab early and land a right hand, it’s going to be fascinating to see how Opetaia takes that punch. It’s not the fight we would want for either, but Deontay Wilder vs Jai Opetaia certainly carries intrigue.

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