Breaking
Tag

Deontay Wilder

Browsing
BOXING

Deontay Wilder Is Back! With Opponent Confirmed, The Bronze Bomber’ Signs For April Comeback Fight

By
Deontay Wilder

Deontay Wilder has reportedly signed for his comeback fight, ending any speculation that the 39-year-old will hang up the gloves.

Once a long-reigning WBC Heavyweight World Champion known for knocking out all comers, Wilder met his match in Tyson Fury. The pair first fought to a controversial draw before the Brit stamped his authority on the rematch with a stoppage to serve Wilder the first loss of his career. Though more competitive in the trilogy bout, the American met the same fate and stepped away from the sport for a year.

A one round demolition of Robert Helenius was a good reminder of Wilder’s abilities, however he failed to capitalise and went through another bout of inactivity before returning against, and losing to, Joseph Parker. Ahead of his next fight with Zhilei Zhang, the big hitter from Alabama said retirement would be considered if he lost. He was knocked out in five rounds.

Deontay Wilder Is Back! ‘The Bronze Bomber’ Signs For April Comeback Fight With Opponent Confirmed

JUST IN: Oleksandr Usyk Has Finally Revealed Who He Will Fight Next After Beating Tyson Fury Twice

Despite that, Wilder will fight on and it was recently announced that he would take his show to the BLK Prime platform for an April bout. Heavyweight journeyman Curtis Harper told the Ring Magazine that he had signed his end of the deal and Boxing Scene now reports ‘The Bronze Bomber’ has now put pen to paper to make for the fight, slated for April 26 in Atlanta.

Harper is 18-11 in his pro campaign with losses to the likes of Zhang, Bakhodir Jalolov and Guido Vianello. He made headlines back in 2018 for being immediately disqualified from his bout with Efe Ajagba when he exited the ring upon the first bell. What looked like was a lack of will to fight, he later explained, was a financial protest. The fight should be made official in the coming days.

Wilder will enter the ring the heaviest of favourites hoping to rediscover the killer instinct that made him famous. If he does, there will likely be one last crack at the top level.

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

Hard Hitting Heavyweight Rumoured To Be Deontay Wilder’s Comeback Opponent Speaks Out

By
Deontay Wilder

Deontay Wilder‘s career has been full of dramatic ups and downs and it is not over yet.

The American is now 39 years old and has plenty of boxing miles on the clock. In all, he has had 48 fits and won 43 of them., Famously, 42 of those victories came by way of often savage one-punch knockout. However, his trilogy with Tyson Fury proved to be his undoing. After drawing the first contest, he was twice beaten in brutal fashion by the Brit, the last time being in 2021.

Since then he has had just three fights – one easy comeback win over Robert Helenius, then a points loss to Joseph Parker in December 2023 and a knockout loss at the hands of Zhilei Zhang in June of 2024.

Hard Hitting Heavyweight Rumoured To Be Deontay Wilder’s Comeback Opponent Speaks Out

JUST IN: Floyd Mayweather’s status as the Greatest of All Time gets a direct response from Roy Jones Jr.

Despite many in the sport calling for his retirement, Wilder recently confirmed he will fight on and his return will be staged on the BLK Prime network, slated for April.

Rumours began to circulate as to who may be the man in the opposite corner, with one name mentioned that of Stephan Shaw. Speaking to YSM Sports Media, Shaw revealed what he knows about being the next in line to face Wilder in April.

“I woke up one morning and they were just talking about the fight. This was a couple of weeks ago. I got a call and they were like, blah blah Wilder fight. Today, I see a blog run with this so I shared it because right now in my career I feel that’s a fight that would be perfect for me.”

Missouri’s Shaw has won 20 of his 22 fights since turning pro in 2013, with his only losses coming in 2023 against Martin Bakole’s next opponent Efe Ajagba and Joseph Goodall. He has shared many rounds in the gym with Wilder.

“I’ve sparred Deontay since 2017. I’ve been you could say his primary sparring partner, I’ve been part of every camp since he fought Gerald Washington till his last fight with Zhang. It’s a fight we would love to take but it’s all smoke and mirrors right now to be honest.”

Wilder was set to announce his comeback opponent this week, however the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles saw the press conference postponed. With that in mind, it appears Shaw won’t be the man to test if ‘The Bronze Bomber’ can still compete in the division.

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

Usyk Summed Up Deontay Wilder’s Chances Of Ever Beating Anthony Joshua In Just 1 Word

By
Oleksandr Usyk Anthony Joshua Deontay Wilder

Anthony Joshua versus Deontay Wilder is in danger of being the match-up that got away in this heavyweight era.

The two big punchers could have, at one stage, faced off for the undisputed crown, but failed talks and different paths put paid to that and both men would lost their belts.

Joshua was first upset by Andy Ruiz Jr and, though he won the unified titles back in the rematch, Wilder was then embroiled in a trilogy with Tyson Fury that he would come out relieved of his WBC belt.

Usyk Summed Up Deontay Wilder’s Chances Of Ever Beating Anthony Joshua In Just 1 Word

JUST IN: Claressa Shields Hits Back at Fan for Spreading Lies About Her Boxing Career

‘AJ’ then lost again to Oleksandr Usyk and couldn’t reverse the result in a return fight. The lack of belts seemed to then make talks easier with his American rival, as well as the introduction of Riyadh Season and its deep pockets, and the pair were put on a collision course, fighting on the same card against different opponents with wins setting up the clash.

Joshua did his part, beating Otto Wallin by fifth round stoppage, but Wilder was upset over the distance by Joseph Parker. The Brit would instead face and knockout Francis Ngannou. Wilder again tried to build back by facing giant Chinese southpaw Zhilei Zhang. He was stopped inside five leaving not just the ‘AJ’ fight on the ropes, but his career entire.

Usyk, having shared the ring with the Brit for 24 rounds, made a prediction back in 2023 for if the pair of knockout artists were to face off at their best. He gave his former foe a chance, but leaned ‘60%’ to Wilder.

“It would’ve been a phenomenal match. Wilder’s unique if he clips, one is unable to fight back. I’m going with Wilder on 60% for the contest. He’s a puncher and Joshua could be set on. Deontay’s able to send someone flying when he touches them. They usually have the flight.”

Joshua was recently stopped by now IBF Champion Daniel Dubois, once again opening the door to the fight after Wilder announced he will not retire. However, ‘AJ’ is much more likely to pursue another long-awaited clash with Fury instead.

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

Reason why Heavyweight denies being Deontay Wilder’s BLK Prime opponent

By
Deontay Wilder

Deontay Wilder had an opponent for his spring return for a few hours before the prospective opponent denied the main event.

Stephen Shaw was announced by more than one boxing outlet as the boxer in the opposite corner to Wilder for a return to action in April on Black Prime. Manouk Akopyan made the initial confirmation that Wilder would make a comeback after several months of being linked to retirement.

Once the news of Wilder’s imminent return was out in the open, discussions began over who ‘The Bronze Bomber’ would face. Without any official word, Shaw’s name was put out there as a done deal on Pay Per View.

Deontay Wilder

READ: “Killing Me”- Gervonta Davis Makes Feelings Clear After Exchanging Blows With Lamont Roach Online

However, another boxing writer, Hans Themistode, quickly realized this wasn’t the case. Themistode spoke to Shaw directly, and the American denied any notion of the clash.

First, Themistode said, “OK, I did some digging, and I’ve been told that Shaw isn’t lined up to fight Wilder next. Shaw and his entire team would love to fight Wilder, but they told me that no discussions have taken place. I’m scheduled to talk to Shaw in a few hours, so I’ll do my best to provide some clarity.”

After the call, Themistode added, “I just spoke with Stephan Shaw about a possible Deontay Wilder fight, and he told me it’s all ‘smoke and mirrors.’

“Expect Wilder to return, but it probably won’t be against Shaw next.”

In the video, shared by WBN, Shaw said, “I just woke up one morning, and they were talking about the fight. A couple of weeks ago, they were like, Wilder fight da da da – like I hadn’t heard any particulars,” the 20-2 heavyweight told Themistode.

“Then today, I just saw a blog run with this, so I just shared this. I feel like that’s a fight that would be perfect for me. I’ve sparred with Deontay since 2017, and I’ve been his primary sparring partner. I’ve been part of every camp since he fought Gerald Washington to his last fight with [Zhilei] Zhang. I feel like it was just something to run with.

“Then I spoke to my manager, and he spoke to his manager; it’s a fight we’d love to take, but it’s all smoke and mirrors right now, to be honest,” he concluded.

Wilder is expected to confirm his next opponent this weekend after dropping off the major broadcaster platforms.

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua disagree as Deontay Wilder ‘prepares announcement’

By
Deontay Wilder Tyson Fury Anthony Joshua

Deontay Wilder is reportedly planning a major return to boxing – a move that Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua disagree on.

At 39, the Bronze Bomber holds a remarkable record of 43-4-1 in the squared circle, having clinched the WBC heavyweight crown in 2015, and defended it 10 times before ultimately relinquishing it to the Gypsy King. The two men initially met in December 2018, with Wilder defending his WBC belt via an incredibly tight split draw, before coming to blows again in February 2020.

This time, Fury saw his hand raised via a seventh-round TKO to take the title from Wilder before an eleventh-round knockout in their trilogy fight the following year in Fury’s favour diminished any hopes of the American putting himself in the championship picture. Wilder was once one of the world’s most feared heavyweights, but he now finds himself on a two-fight skid in 2025, which has left Fury calling for his retirement.

Tyson Fury loves the fight with Anthony Joshua - rejects the trilogy with Deontay Wilder - Telegraph - Telegraph

JUST IN: ‘The country would stop to see it’: Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua doesn’t need a title

Wilder suffered a unanimous decision loss to Joseph Parker in December 2023 at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena before finding himself on the receiving end of a fifth-round TKO at the hands of Zhilei Zhang last June at the same venue. As a result of his back-to-back losses, Fury told the Pound 4 Pound podcast: “Being truthful, I’d like to see poor old Deontay retire from boxing.

“Obviously, he lost the three fights to me. We took a lot of years off of each other’s lives. That war that ended in the 11th round by knockout, that takes a lot out your tank and you don’t recover from fights like that. Between me and Wilder in our trilogy there were 10 knockdowns. It takes a lot out of a fighter.

“Even when he’s come back and had a couple of fights since against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang, he’s only a shadow of his former glory. The only thing left of Deontay is his name. And that’s it. So I’d like to see him retire for sure before he does damage to himself.”

Despite Fury’s assessment, Wilder is reportedly posed to announce his return to the ring – with boxing journalist Manouk Akopyan reporting that he’s looking at April for his next fight against an opponent who will be named in the near future.

Akopyan wrote on X: “I’m told @BronzeBomber will return for a comeback fight in April on BLK Prime. Wilder and manager Shelley Finkel will meet with the media in Los Angeles on Saturday to announce the opponent.”

The Gypsy King’s long-time rival Joshua has a different view on Wilder and whether he should retire from the sport. Speaking to DAZN about the prospect, AJ said: “It’s completely up to him, I can’t say.

“I just look at and say, ‘If you want to do it, do it’, it’s not a big deal boxing, if you want to fight, fight on, and if you don’t want to do it, don’t do it any more, it’s just where your heart’s at. He went in there against a good fighter in Zhilei, he’s an Olympian, Zhilei, people forget that.

“He’s come through, he’s got a great style. I fought him before in the Olympics and he’s still doing what he does now, so many years on. He was in with a real good, seasoned professional with a great pedigree. It doesn’t matter, come again if you want, and if you don’t, you’ve got your family there. There’s another life outside of boxing for him.”

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder reignited for 2025 in USA vs UK showdown

By
Anthony Joshua Deontay Wilder

A match-up between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder is set for 2025.

In a thrilling matchup between the United Kingdom and the United States, Anthony Joshua is predicted to face Deontay Wilder.

This year, the two former world champions were scheduled to finally meet, but Wilder lost unexpectedly to Joseph Parker.

Ready for that fight': Anthony Joshua wants Deontay Wilder next - Bad Left Hook

JUST IN: Tyson Fury will beat Oleksandr Usyk ‘easy’ if he can do this one thing

Zhilei Zhang then knocked him out, and in September, Daniel Dubois stopped AJ after five rounds.

Richard Torrez, an 11-0 American professional and US Olympian, is still interested in seeing the two square off, though.

Turki Alalshikh, the powerful Saudi boxing head, recently announced plans to hold a 6v6 series of contests between the United Kingdom and the United States.

In June, Eddie Hearn’s stable of Matchroom fighters lost against Frank Warren’s Queensbury Promotions.

However, Hearn and Warren might team up this time to fight Golden Boy of America and Top Rank.

Joshua was expected to take a rematch against Dubois but is now out for an extended period.

Wilder on the other hand has set his sights on fighting Ngannou.

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

Turki Alalshikh lines up next fights for Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Francis Ngannou

By
Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez Francis Nganno

Turki Alalshikh is continuing to line up prospective opponents for two of the fight game’s greatest stars, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, and Francis Ngannou.

Canelo has been a pound-for-pound stalwart for years, and remains the clear No.1 fighter in the super middleweight division. He is yet to fight in Saudi Arabia, or under a Riyadh Season umbrella, but Alalshikh has spoken warmly of the boxer, and is steadfast in his belief regarding whom the Mexican bruiser should box next.

Ngannou, meanwhile, has fought three times under Alalshikh’s remit due to his two-fight swing in boxing, in which he floored Tyson Fury in a shocking scene but lost to the heavyweight via narrow decision. Anthony Joshua then knocked Ngannou out in two rounds, before the the former UFC champion returned to the cage and destroyed Renan Ferreira in a PFL Super-Fight. All three fights took place in Saudi Arabia.

Turki Alalshikh Rules Out Working With Another Fighter After Canelo Spat: "He Doesn't Understand" - Seconds Out

JUST IN: ‘He Has A Little Health Issue’ – Terence Crawford Suffers An Injury

Alalshikh has long regarded Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford as the ideal opponent to fight Canelo, yet has faced resistance as Alvarez focused on his September opponent Edgar Berlanga, whom he beat by decision.

With his ruthless thrashing of Errol Spence Jr. last year, Crawford secured one of the most significant wins of boxing’s modern era, and followed the knockout with a decision win over Israil Madrimov atop a Riyadh Season-sponsored card in Los Angeles that GIVEMESPORT attended in August. Alalshikh remains interested in Crawford, and, during an interview Tuesday on DAZN, spoke of his desire to see the American fight Canelo.

“I don’t know anyone now from the Canelo team, and I don’t have any connection, but if he’s hearing me, we are ready to discuss. But I want to discuss [with] him directly, without anyone in the middle.”

Canelo & Terence Crawford’s pro boxing records (as of 3/12/24)
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez Terence Crawford
Fights 66 41
Wins 62 (39 by KO) 41 (31 by KO)
Losses 2 0
Draws 2 0

In the same interview, Alalshikh discussed Ngannou’s possible future, and said that, if the PFL champion were to return to a boxing ring rather than an MMA cage, then he’d like to see the Cameroon slugger compete against America’s thunderous puncher Deontay Wilder.

“I need to sit with Wilder [for] two minutes to see his condition.” said Alalshikh.

“I can catch it from two minutes [and check] if he’s ready or not [to fight]. I don’t want to waste time and money anymore. I need to check first if he’s still got it.”

Francis Ngannou & Deontay Wilder’s pro boxing records (as of 3/12/24)
Francis Ngannou Deontay Wilder
Fights 2 48
Wins 0 43 (42 by KO)
Losses 2 4
Draws 0 1

Alternatively, Ngannou could remain in MMA. Should he continue winning in that sport, then a cross-promoted bout involving UFC GOAT Jon Jones will always carry intrigue, as could PFL fights against the likes of Rico Verhoeven.

“Francis will come to me in December,” Alalshikh said, referencing the December 21 rematch between heavyweight fighters Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury. It is during that fight week when Alalshikh will talk to Ngannou about “a lot of business” they have to discuss “together.”

“Yes, I have on the table two options for Francis — one in MMA and one in boxing I want to discuss with [Ngannou]. The MMA [fight], you know all the time, my answer is we want to do the biggest things.”

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

Francis Ngannou Provides Deontay Wilder Fight Update, Opens Up About Boxing Future

By
Francis Ngannou Deontay Wilder

As he juggles between the fabled crossroads of choice: one path leading to boxing, the other to MMA—Francis Ngannou sat down for an interview to discuss his future plans.

His boxing career might have witnessed a downswing; however, Ngannou’s stretch in the mixed martial arts remains strong. Despite an impressive performance against a reigning heavyweight champion, he lost his boxing debut. Unfortunately, things didn’t look up in the next outing either. ‘The Predator’ suffered a shocking loss to Anthony Joshua early in March this year.

That said, things may take a turn for the better. Though talks surfaced last year, discussions about a potential matchup with Deontay Wilder have once again gained momentum. In the cage, Ngannou proved why he was still one of the best fighters around. The former UFC heavyweight champion, who joined the Professional Fighters League last year, marked his return with an emphatic win over Renan Ferreira.

Francis Ngannou and Deontay Wilder Want to Face Each Other - Ready To Fight

JUST IN: Mike Tyson loses heavyweight record just days after breaking it

Given the current buzz, the TMZ interview began with the Jake Paul–Mike Tyson show. “It just hurt me to see Mike there in that situation,” said Francis Ngannou. He has good enough reasons to feel so. Last year, in a move that surprised many, he roped in Mike Tyson to his corner for his debut against Tyson Fury.

He has nothing but love and admiration for Mike Tyson. Despite being 58 years old, the former heavyweight champion displayed immense courage and stepped into the ring against an opponent 30 years his junior. While discussing his brief exchange with Jake Paul, Ngannou dismissed any likelihood of a face-off against ‘The Problem Child’. Unlike many who criticized the Paul-Tyson event, Francis Ngannou believed the MVP-Netflix card advanced both the sport and entertainment.

“What is next? I know the last time we talked, you mentioned Deontay Wilder. We ran into Deontay Wilder; he couldn’t have been nicer talking about you and all you’ve gone through, and then he said, Let’s talk. Is that still a fight that interests you?” the interviewer asked.

Francis Ngannou explained that following his last conversation with Deontay Wilder, ‘nothing has changed’. Otherwise, the fight remains on his radar. It’s one of those engagements he looks forward to before he decides to hang the gloves for good.

The reporter wanted to know whether the French-Cameroonian would enter the squared circle before his next foray into the octagon. Ngannou responded that he would wait for some time to see if the PFL guys pull up any fight for him. If there’s nothing on the horizon, he might switch gears to boxing. Nonetheless, given that he can easily move between the two platforms, the issue doesn’t bother him that much.

In a recent interview with TMZ, even Deontay Wilder seemed optimistic about a potential matchup with ‘The Predator’. During their three outings, he gave Tyson Fury tough competition, so Wilder could be confident about challenging the French-Cameroonian fighter.

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

Deontay Wilder reveals gruesome unknown injury after losing last two boxing fights

By
Deontay Wilder

Deontay Wilder has revealed he suffered a gruesome unknown injury before his last two boxing fights.

The former WBC world heavyweight champion lost to Joseph Parker by way of unanimous decision in December before suffering a fifth-round knockout at the hands of Zhilei Zhang in June.

It leaves the American heavyweight some way off the world title picture and a potential money-spinning fight against Anthony Joshua looks further away than ever.

JUST IN: [VIDEO] “I’m going to win for sure”: Stevenson Confident Of Beating Gervonta Davis

Wilder became WBC world champion back in 2015 and defended his title on ten separate occasions before losing it to Tyson Fury in their second fight back in February 2020.

The ‘Bronze Bomber’ then lost to Fury for a second time in the final instalment of their epic trilogy in 2022 and has since struggled to reclaim former glories.

Wilder made light work of Robert Helenius with a one-round knockout in 2022 before struggling against Parker and Zhang.

Still, speaking to American outlet TMZ, Wilder revealed an unknown broken arm may have had an impact.

“I broke my arm way back in November sometime. I didn’t know,” he said.

“I had two tears on my shoulder. I could feel the pain, but I just thought it was old injuries. But I got an MRI [recently] and everything was f***ed up there, I didn’t know because I’ve got a high tolerance of pain.”

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

[VIDEO] Deontay Wilder Ready To Begin Talks W/ Francis Ngannou About Super Fight

By
Deontay Wilder Francis Ngannou

It seems a Deontay Wilder vs. Francis Ngannou super fight might actually happen … ’cause the Bronze Bomber tells TMZ Sports he’s down to begin negotiations now!

Ngannou, of course, said just a couple weeks ago he was hoping to get in the boxing ring with Wilder soon … and, when we caught up with DW out at LAX this week, he seemed very open to the idea.

READ: Mike Tyson confesses what happened when prisoner tried to attack him while behind bars

In fact, he told us he wants to get Ngannou’s team on the phone and begin talks ASAP!

The two would make for an extremely compelling fight — especially considering how massive they are. Wilder checks in at 6-foot-7, 214 pounds … while Ngannou tips the scales at 6-foot-4, 257 pounds.

There isn’t much worry of a potential lopsided bout … as, after all, Ngannou nearly beat Wilder’s nemesis, Tyson Fury, back in 2023.

Then again, Wilder said he’s getting healthy now after finding out “everything was f***ed up” with his shoulder … and Ngannou was knocked out by Anthony Joshua in his most recent boxing match.

Regardless, Deontay made it clear he’s got nothing but respect for Ngannou — even sending his condolences to the former UFC star over the recent, tragic death of his infant son.

As for Wilder’s personal life, it hasn’t been the most smooth sailing year for the former heavyweight champ — but he told us he feels he’s cut some toxic people from his corner … and now, “the best is yet to come.”

Keep Reading
By
Verified by MonsterInsights