Rico Verhoeven Accepts Deontay Wilder Offer for Fury-Joshua Undercard

Deontay Wilder may have a new opponent in play for the Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua undercard. Former longtime GLORY heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven revealed Thursday that he has received an offer to face Wilder on the December 11 card at Principality Stadium in Cardiff and has already accepted his side of the proposal. The fight is not finalized, however, because Verhoeven says details still need to be negotiated and he is waiting for a response from Wilder’s camp.

The development comes after Wilder had been linked to unbeaten cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia for the same event. Verhoeven presents a very different option. The Dutch star transitioned into high-level boxing earlier this year and pushed Oleksandr Usyk deep into their May heavyweight fight before being stopped in the 11th round. That performance increased his credibility as a boxing opponent despite his limited professional boxing experience.

For the Fury-Joshua event, Wilder-Verhoeven would add another recognizable heavyweight attraction while preserving the possibility of Opetaia pursuing other plans. The key distinction for fans is that Verhoeven has accepted an offer, but Wilder has not publicly agreed to the matchup. Until both sides finalize terms, this remains an active negotiation rather than an official fight. If Wilder says yes, the December 11 card would gain another heavyweight matchup with substantial crossover appeal.