Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk undercard to feature rising cruiserweight fresh off knockout win
The Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk undercard will feature the returning Jai Opetaia.
'The Gypsy King' and 'The Cat' are finally set to meet next month in Saudi Arabia. As some likely recall, the two were originally scheduled to fight on December 23. However, due to Fury having a tougher-than-expected bout against Francis Ngannou, the heavyweight collision was moved.
As a result, the 'Day of Reckoning' card went down in its place. Headlined by Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin, the event was arguably the most stacked boxing card in years. Names such as Deontay Wilder, Joseph Parker, and Jarrell Miller were littered throughout.
Also fighting on the card was Jai Opetaia. The Ring and lineal cruiserweight champion famously vacated his IBF title to fight on the Saudi Arabia card. Fighting on the undercard, Opetaia scored a highlight-reel knockout over Ellis Zorro.
Now, just a few weeks removed from that victory, he's been added to the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk undercard. The news itself was first reported by BoxingScene, but it noted that Opetaia's next opponent hadn't been confirmed.
It's also worth noting that the Australian will reportedly be training with 'The Gypsy King' in advance of their respective returns. It seems that the two stars believe that iron sharpens iron after all.
Who else has been linked to the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk undercard?
As of now, the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk card is still largely being built.
'The Gpysy King' vs. 'The Cat' is obviously the main attraction for fans. Their heavyweight clash will crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis. 'The Lion' famously accomplished that feat well over 20 years ago.
With that historic matchup headlining the event, fans shouldn't expect the card to be nearly as good as last month's 'Day of Reckoning' event. Still, Frank Warren has teased that there are still a few big matchups up his sleeve.
As of now, however, there are only a few fights attached to Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk. Obviously, the return of Jai Opetaia is slated for the event, as the cruiserweight will face an unknown boxer.
The only other contest announced as of now is Sergey Kovalev vs. Robin Safar. 'The Krusher' is a former light-heavyweight champion and foe of Canelo Alvarez. Kovalev will compete for the first time in two years in an effort to hand the Swede Safar the first loss of his career.