Deontay Wilder: The former heavyweight champion is ready to confirm his return to the ring soon | Boxing news
Deontay Wilder should confirm his return to the ring.
The former WBC heavyweight champion has not fought since losing to Zhilei Zhang last June.
But Wilder’s co-manager Shelly Finkel confirmed the 39-year-old could announce his next fight in the coming weeks.
Wilder teased a return in November, posting a message on Instagram saying ‘the best is yet to come’, along with a video montage of members of the media calling for his retirement.
The ‘Bronze Bomber’ had a long reign as WBC champion before losing the title in a dramatic rematch to Tyson Fury in 2020.
The accomplished American lost his trilogy fight with Fury, then bounced back with a first-round knockout victory over Robert Helenius.
The loss to Joseph Parker that followed in 2023, along with the loss to Zhang, led to questions about Wilder’s future.
But Wilder is now ready to resume his career in the division ruled by Oleksandr Usyk after a rematch victory over Tyson Fury last month.
Usyk, who holds the WBC, WBA and WBO belts, suggested he could return to cruiserweight where he was the undisputed champion, while Britain’s Daniel Dubois is the IBF champion after a knockout victory over Anthony Joshua last year.
