Tyson Fury says Deontay Wilder is 'shot to bits' ahead of Jai Opetaia fight

Tyson Fury has delivered a blunt verdict on Deontay Wilder's December 11 co-main event against Jai Opetaia, telling FightHype that the former WBC heavyweight champion is "shot to bits" and "should not be in the ring." BoxingScene and The Independent both carried the quotes on November 6 after Wilder was confirmed for the Principality Stadium undercard of Fury vs Anthony Joshua in Cardiff.

Wilder (45-4-1, 43 KOs) faces unbeaten cruiserweight star Opetaia (31-0, 24 KOs), who is moving up to heavyweight for the first time. The bout sits as the chief support on the Netflix-streamed Zuffa Boxing card headlined by Fury vs Joshua.

What Fury said

Asked about Wilder taking the Opetaia fight, Fury said: "It's silly really, for Deontay's part. He should not be in the ring. It's a dying shame that this man has to continue to fight when he's shot to bits."

He argued Wilder should have retired after their trilogy finale: "He should never have fought again after I beat him the last time. That should have been the end of it. But, needs must." Fury also referenced Wilder's later losses, including a stoppage by Zhilei Zhang, saying that if you are "getting knocked out by people you should have knocked out yourself," you should walk away.

On Wilder's April points win over Derek Chisora, Fury called the fight "shockingly terrible," claiming Chisora took Wilder's punches "that are not there anymore" without budging. He added that walking away is hard and that many greats return "usually [for] financial reasons," calling the situation "a sad state."

Fight context in Cardiff

Zuffa Boxing and major outlets confirmed Wilder vs Opetaia on November 4 as the co-main for December 11 at Principality Stadium. Opetaia steps up from cruiserweight after dominating that division since upsetting Mairis Briedis in 2022. Wilder returns after outpointing Chisora in London in April and remains one of the division's most dangerous one-punch hitters on paper despite recent setbacks.

Fury and Wilder fought three times: a draw in 2018, then Fury stoppages in 2020 and 2021. Their rivalry has stayed bitter, with Wilder often accusing Fury of foul play. Fury's latest comments come while he promotes his own Joshua showdown on the same Cardiff night.

What it means

Fury's remarks do not change the booking. Wilder vs Opetaia remains scheduled for 12 rounds as the chief support before Fury vs Joshua. For Wilder, the fight is another high-visibility Netflix stage and a chance to beat an unbeaten elite athlete. For Opetaia, it is a first heavyweight test against a former world champion with historic knockout power.

No weigh-in figures, official time of the co-main, or further card changes tied to Fury's comments had been announced at the time of reporting. Any result, postponement, or official response from Wilder or Opetaia would update this story.