Deontay Wilder could be added to the undercard of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua’s long awaited heavyweight showdown in Cardiff, potentially bringing another former world champion into one of the biggest boxing events of the year.
Fury and Joshua are finally scheduled to meet at the Principality Stadium on December 11, ending years of failed negotiations and speculation over whether two of Britain’s most famous heavyweights would ever share a professional ring.
The undercard has not yet been formally confirmed, but Sky Sports reports that Wilder is among the names being considered for the event. No opponent has been agreed for the American at this stage.
Wilder’s inclusion would add considerable interest to a card already centred around one of British boxing’s most anticipated fights.
The 40 year old former WBC heavyweight champion remains one of the most recognizable punchers of his generation and has direct history with both men in the main event.
His rivalry with Fury produced one of the most memorable heavyweight trilogies of recent years.
The pair first met in Los Angeles in 2018, where Wilder twice knocked Fury down but was forced to settle for a controversial draw.
Fury dominated their second meeting in 2020, stopping Wilder in the seventh round to win the WBC heavyweight championship.
Their third bout a year later became an instant classic.
Both fighters hit the canvas during a dramatic encounter before Fury eventually stopped Wilder in the 11th round.
Those three fights created one of the defining rivalries of the modern heavyweight era, meaning Wilder appearing on Fury’s undercard would immediately revive memories of their previous battles.
Wilder also has unfinished business with Joshua.
For years, a fight between the two former heavyweight champions was discussed as one of boxing’s biggest possible contests, particularly when Joshua held the WBA, IBF and WBO titles and Wilder controlled the WBC belt.
Despite repeated negotiations, the matchup never happened.
At one stage, Wilder and Joshua were even placed on the same Saudi Arabian card in December 2023 with the expectation that victories could lead towards a direct fight.
Joshua defeated Otto Wallin that night, but Wilder suffered a damaging defeat to Joseph Parker, effectively ending those immediate plans.
The possibility of seeing Wilder on the Fury Joshua card therefore creates another fascinating storyline.
If Joshua beats Fury and Wilder wins his own undercard bout, renewed discussion about finally matching the two could follow.
Equally, another fight between Wilder and Fury would carry obvious historical appeal, although Fury has instead spoken publicly about pursuing a third meeting with Oleksandr Usyk if he defeats Joshua.
Wilder enters the discussion following a victory over British veteran Derek Chisora at The O2 in London in April, where he returned to Britain and secured a points win.
That result helped rebuild his momentum after a difficult period and demonstrated that he remains interested in competing at the highest level of the heavyweight division.
His return to Britain also makes another UK appearance logistically plausible.
The Cardiff event is expected to attract an enormous crowd and a significant international television audience, with Fury Joshua itself described as potentially the biggest fight in British boxing history.
The main event ring walks are currently expected at around 1am UK time in the early hours of Saturday, December 12, following an application to Cardiff Council that would allow the stadium to remain open until 3.30am.
That unusual schedule is designed in part to maximise the event’s international audience, particularly in the United States.
Having Wilder on the card would strengthen that appeal.
The Alabama heavyweight built his reputation through an extraordinary run of knockout victories and held the WBC championship from 2015 until his defeat to Fury in 2020.
At his peak, Wilder was considered one of the most dangerous one-punch knockout artists in heavyweight history.
His right hand produced dramatic finishes against fighters including Luis Ortiz, Dominic Breazeale and Bermane Stiverne, while even Fury was repeatedly forced to recover from heavy knockdowns during their trilogy.
Although Wilder is now in the later stages of his career, his power means almost any fight involving him carries an element of danger.
That could make promoter selection of his opponent particularly interesting.
The Fury-Joshua undercard is expected to balance major name attractions with bouts that do not create unnecessary risk to the headline event.
No opponent has yet been publicly confirmed for Wilder, and his involvement remains a possibility rather than a completed agreement.
Joshua’s camp had previously shown interest in fighting Wilder directly before the Fury contest.
Earlier in 2026, promoter Eddie Hearn discussed the possibility of Joshua facing Wilder as a comeback opponent before then moving immediately into the Fury fight.
Hearn said Joshua was willing to face the two dangerous heavyweights back to back, although Wilder’s team said at the time that no formal discussions had taken place.
Those plans ultimately did not materialise, leaving the Wilder Joshua rivalry unresolved.
Now there is a possibility that the American could instead box just hours before Joshua’s biggest domestic fight.
The wider Fury Joshua event is continuing to take shape after a complicated build up.
The two former world champions finally appeared together at a London press conference, where they traded taunts over the lengthy negotiations required to make the contest.
The December agreement is understood to be for one fight only, with no contractual rematch clause, which increases the significance of the result.
That means the winner could immediately pursue other heavyweight opportunities in 2027.
Fury has spoken about another Usyk fight, while Joshua’s future could depend heavily on what happens in Cardiff.
Adding Wilder to the same evening would put three of the heavyweight division’s defining figures of the past decade on one card.
Fury, Joshua and Wilder have all held heavyweight world championships and have collectively featured in some of the division’s largest events.
Yet despite years of overlapping careers, Joshua and Wilder have never fought.
That unfinished storyline means Wilder’s potential presence would be more than simply another undercard attraction.
It could influence what comes next.
A convincing Wilder victory could put his name back into major heavyweight discussions, particularly if the Fury Joshua winner intends to continue boxing beyond December.
For now, however, nothing has been finalised.
The Fury Joshua undercard remains under construction, and Wilder’s opponent should he appear is still unknown.
But the possibility of Deontay Wilder returning to Britain on the same night Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua finally settle their rivalry would add another major heavyweight storyline to an event already shaping up as one of the defining nights of the 2026 boxing calendar.
