Deontay Wilder is staring down the barrel of a devastating career-ending that could see the American slugger fight just three times in five years.
As World Boxing News has reported many times, Wilder has been unable to fulfill his promise to be active in the sport of boxing.
The Alabama slammer gave a speech confirming he would not retire earlier this year and stated he would give his all in the final three years of his career.
This hasn’t come to fruition.
A slated fight with Anthony Joshua keeps being altered. At the same time, Andy Ruiz Jr. is considering other options after pricing himself out, according to Wilder.
The whole situation is a mess, and Wilder is at the center of it.
A deadline set by Joshua’s team over a Saudi Arabia agreement has come and gone. Joshua’s promoter is seeking other venues in a shocking turn of events.
For all Wilder knew, he was getting a bundle of cash from Saudi Arabian investors. A heap of cash worth putting his career on hold for. This is no longer the case in a devastating turnover.
Additionally, Joshua is considering re-opening talks with Tyson Fury, and Wilder is again the one left in the lurch.
Will Deontay Wilder ever fight Anthony Joshua?
Hearn has confirmed Joshua is also actively looking at other options for a December return. That’s before potentially facing Fury in the first half of 2024. If that scenario transpires, Wilder will again have wasted ten months of his career due to a pandemic.
Following his loss to Fury in February 2020, Wilder has fought twice. He holds only one victory in four years. His run as WBC heavyweight champion, which lasted five years and is sure to land him in the Boxing Hall of Fame, is a distant memory.
Wilder’s career is on life support. It needs resuscitation – or, at the very least, reanimation.
In November, WBN broke the world exclusive news that Wilder was not looking to follow through on a mandated WBC eliminator with Andy Ruiz Jr.
Ten months on, and nothing has seemingly changed for the better. Fans are still in the dark about Wilder’s next move, and apparently, so is the man who is supposed to be in the opposite corner.
Meanwhile, the longer Wilder waits, the older he gets. Those two fights in four years will turn into five by February 2024 – a date Joshua is no longer willing to consider.
Late 2023 has turned into the spring of 2024. March or April are now being eyed for a Las Vegas or England clash worth considerably less to Wilder.
Putting his tenure on hold for the almighty dollar has backfired big time for the once-dominant heavyweight champion. A decision needs to be made soon.
Deontay Wilder has to fight in 2023, with other options certainly coming into the equation after another devastating loss of traction for “The Bronze Bomber” and his team.
Phil Jay is an experienced boxing news writer.
