Deontay Wilder’s manager has confirmed that the former WBC Heavyweight champion will return later this year.
The 36-year-old has been out of action since October 2021 when he lost to Tyson Fury in their thrilling trilogy bout in Las Vegas.
Rumours have persisted about the American’s future, but his manager Shelly Finkel told Planet Sport ‘The Bronze Bomber’ will be back. And the Alabama knockout artist is targeting the Oleksandr Usyk-Anthony Joshua 2 winner according to Finkel.
“Maybe the winner of Usyk and Joshua. I don’t know what Fury is doing?”
“If Joshua wins – it’s a huge fight in the UK (between those two) – there’s so many intangibles so we’re looking to see what happens in that fight (Usyk and Joshua).”
“I don’t care what Fury says, we’re waiting to see what he really wants to do because if he wants to fight the winner then he’s going to get it. But after that, where are the top guys?”
Fury’s co-promoter Frank Warren revealed on Talksport this week that Wilder would be fighting Robert Helenius in October. Finkel, however, played that down as well as talk of Derek Chisora landing a fight against his client.
“Derek Chisora? He just edged a split-decision over Kubrat Pulev, no way.”
Wilder is a man in demand and told Premier Boxing Champions last month that many people, including fellow fighters, want him back.
“When you have an exciting heavyweight boxing thrives. And I’m living proof.”
“When you don’t have that heavyweight there no more things start to die down. I’ve even had guys in the heavyweight division reach out and say, ‘Champ the division is not the same without you, we need our champ back’.”
“So many have sent messages. ‘Boxing is dead, boxing is boring without him’. Trust me, I hear it all of the time from top people in boxing.”