Rico Verhoeven Accepts Deontay Wilder Boxing Match on Fury vs Joshua Undercard

Rico Verhoeven says yes to Deontay Wilder. The elite kickboxer told talkSPORT he has accepted an offer to fight Wilder in a boxing match on December 11, potentially on the Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua undercard in Cardiff.

"I said yes," Verhoeven confirmed, adding: "I want to make a statement." The 37-year-old, who has Peter Fury in his corner, said he hopes Joshua beats Fury so he can chase a fight with AJ next.

Wilder, 40, had previously been linked to a bout with cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia on the same card. Per Boxing News 24, Verhoeven's involvement could take Opetaia out of a heavyweight detour that threatened his planned fight with David Benavidez. Wilder has not publicly responded to Verhoeven's acceptance, and terms are still being negotiated.

Verhoeven is one of the most decorated heavyweight kickboxers in history but has limited boxing experience. His most notable boxing result was a stoppage loss to Oleksandr Usyk, going down in the eleventh round. Wilder's recent resume includes a split decision win over Derek Chisora and losses to Joseph Parker, Fury, and Zhilei Zhang.

The fight, if finalized, would add another layer to what is shaping up as one of the biggest fight cards of the year. Fury versus Joshua already carries massive global interest, and a Wilder undercard bout would give casual fans another heavyweight name to watch.