It wasn’t long ago that Deontay Wilder was billed as the most dangerous boxer in the heavyweight division. Now, the former WBC champion must rebuild his career again and prove he is still one of the leading men in the sport.
Wilder had a professional record of 42-1-0 going into his second fight with Tyson Fury back in February. 41 of those victories had come by KO. Unfortunately for the American, his reputation took a serious dent when the Gypsy King stopped him in the seventh round of their clash.
The Bronze Bomber has not appeared back in the ring since suffering that first professional defeat. Talks between Wilder and Fury teams over another showdown between the two heavyweights broke down to the point where the WBC champion was looking at alternative opponents for his next fight.
The American is now part of a long list of boxers who are pushing for the chance to fight for one of the four major belts in the division. Former WBO champion Joseph Parker is also one of those. He is -600 in the boxing betting to prevail in his next scheduled contest against Junior Fa. There is also Oleksandr Usyk who is also in the picture after his excellent victory over Dereck Chisora recently.
Fury-Kabayel Fight Postponed
Fury was set to return to the ring next month to meet Agit Kabayel in the first defence of his WBC title. That world title contest has now fallen through, which opens the door up for a trilogy with Wilder in early 2021.
Wilder had a rematch clause in his contract for his last fight with Fury, however, the British boxer’s promoter claims that has now expired. A dispute resolution has been submitted by Wilder’s team and they are confident they will receive a verdict in their favour.
If Wilder does not win that dispute, he may have to wait until 2022 for his next shot at Fury. Talks have already taken place for the Gypsy King to face Anthony Joshua in a unification contest next year. The two British boxers could even sign to fight twice in 2021, in what would be a very lucrative deal.
Parker and Whyte Potential Next Opponents
Parker and Dillian Whyte are being discussed as potential opponents for Wilder next. Both of those men are ranked highly in the division, therefore, a victory over either of them will certainly enhance his reputation again.
The New Zealander has just two defeats on his record so far. He lost to Joshua in a unification contest in March 2018, while later that year, he was on the wrong side of a decision against Whyte following 12 close rounds.
Whyte is someone who Wilder has a number of verbal exchanges with on social media. The British boxer held the interim WBC heavyweight title earlier this year before losing to the Alexander Povetkin. A clash between these two big hitters would certainly generate a lot of interest with boxing fans.
Wilder will be confident he can become a world champion again. He is young enough at 35 years old to bounce back from the Fury defeat and the rest of the heavyweight division will be fully aware he has the power to end a fight at any moment.