Deontay Wilder arrives for a heavyweight championship boxing match against Tyson Fury, of England, Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Chase Stevens)
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Apparently, Deontay Wilder still has some box-office rizz.
That’s why unified heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk has handpicked “The Bronze Bomber” as his next opponent after the WBC ruled that the Usyk can make a voluntary title defense.
“I want to fight Deontay Wilder. I think it’s interesting,” Usyk said speaking to Boxing King Media.
Let’s clarify what’s interesting about Wilder: He’s still highly marketable as one of the scariest punchers in the heavyweight division and, at 40 years old, he’s also past his prime. So the Ukrainian can score some big-time bank in what should be an easy-peasy victory.
An Usyk-Wilder fight is expected for some time in 2026, though no specific date has been circled. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman explained how the matchup evolved, telling Sky Sports: “Deontay Wilder is ranked No. 8 or 9 so he’s eligible to challenge Oleksandr Usyk if they wish to do so. Usyk did petition for a voluntary defense which was granted today.”
Way back when, Wilder (44-4-1, 43 KOs) went undefeated in his first 43 fights with 41 knockouts, creating wreckage with highlight-reel KOs like this:
Wilder has slumped since his epic trilogy with Tyson Fury, with back-to-back stoppage losses to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang. He took a year off from the ring and returned in June to halt barely-known Tyrrell Anthony Herndon in the seventh round.
In spite of Wilder’s downturn, Usyk sees a riveting matchup against the former WBC champion.
“He is a world champion guy,” Usyk said of Wilder. “A very famous and strong guy, one of the great heavyweights of the last 10 years.”
Interestingly enough, Wilder has already divulged how he would defeat Usyk. During an interview with Fight Hub TV ahead of his bout with Zhang in June 2024, Wilder said, “[I will need to use] jabs, using lateral movement and doing what I do best – coming with the right hand. I feel like, if I connect with anyone, with the right hand, it is going to be devastating. It will be a knockout.”
Easier said than done against a genius-level boxer like Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs), who became the first heavyweight to unify the crown in a quarter century and who’s arguably the pound-for-pound best in the sport right now. Usyk made history by stopping Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in July, becoming a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion. But he subsequently vacated his WBO title, allowing for Fabio Wardley to become the full champion.
But even when Usyk goes down as a massive favorite against a past-his-prime Wilder, don’t forgot that Wilder still has a punch known as “The Eraser,” which will always give him a chance at an upset and become champion again.