Deontay Wilder is remaning coy about a potential fight with unified heavyweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk, but certainly doesn’t rule it out.
‘The Bronze Bomber’ was last in the ring back in October of 2022 – a first round knockout of Robert Helenius via the third punch he landed.
It was a reminder to the heavyweight scene that – despite the two recent losses to Tyson Fury – Wilder carries the power to end anyone’s night early.
Since then, he’s been ordered to face Andy Ruiz Jr in a final eliminator for a shot at Fury’s WBC belt – the one Wilder held for five years. Despite the path to a title, his team have been holding out for a ‘bigger fight’, and one may have just fallen in their laps.
Fury was deep in negotiations for months to face the division’s other champion, Usyk. Things fell apart last week, leaving both men now looking for opponents.
Asked by Fight Hub TV if it could be Usyk next for him, Wilder didn’t rule it out.
“There’s a lot of people could be next. The great thing about this and the business of boxing is that it’s a worldwide event and nobody is safe. With that being said, I want the best of the best. We’ll see what happens when I step in the ring.”
There has been talk of the pair setting up a big money event in Saudi Arabia, and Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, even said he believed that was the plan on the part of the Ukrainian.
However there are obstacles in the form of mandatory challengers.
Usyk holds three belts and has a rotation of fights against the top man in each of those sanctioning bodies. First up is Daniel Dubois, who still looks most likely to be the champion’s next challenger even despite these Wilder rumours.