A Deontay Wilder fight is a rarity as the hard-punching “Bronze Bomber” prepares to turn 38 in five days.
The American slugger has just 177 seconds of boxing under his belt since October 2021. Wilder has only two wins during his saga with Fury in 2018, 2020 and 2021.
Beating Luis Ortiz and Robert Helenius with one big right hand each is not ideal preparation for a title shot. He’s running out of time to make a further impression in his career.
Wilder took a considerable amount of cash from his trilogy with Tyson Fury. And on the face of it, the Tuscaloosa native seems to be happy to remain out of the title picture.
Fights with Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua have gone nowhere fast. It’s now up to Wilder to decide if he wants a stay-busy bout around his forthcoming reality TV series.
The former WBC heavyweight champion will appear on TV screens for fans on Peacock’s “The Traitors.” World Boxing News understands filming has already begun ahead of an airing date in January 2024.
A TV schedule doesn’t help any training camp for a big fight. Therefore, this era’s ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ will not return to the gym until November or December.
Deontay Wilder fight options
Prospective opponents Ruiz and Joshua both have eyeballs on facing Wilder. However, Ruiz is itching for a return soon, and Joshua wants to be back in action by December.
This leaves Wilder with little option but to sit things out and wait for the spring of 2024. WBN previously pointed out that Wilder would have just one round under his belt in 30 months.
It’s not ideal for any fighter to be limited to such a measly amount of time under the lights, especially when your rivals are about to unify the undisputed title.
Fury will battle Oleksandr Usyk in the next six months. So Wilder must be in the ring facing warriors and showing he’s ready to secure the mandatory spot with the WBC.
Holding the top spot in the WBC ratings since February 2020, Wilder has caused controversy by keeping the ranking during periods of inactivity in the heavyweight division,
WBC rankings order
The WBC ordered Wilder vs Ruiz before switching the positions to favor a clash with Joshua. The organization faces a tough decision at its forthcoming Uzbekistan Convention in November.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman has often explained that a final ruling will be made next month. But how they maneuver the situation comes down to progress in negotiations.
The WBC would push for Ruiz as the eliminator for Fury vs Usyk if Wilder is in advanced talks. However, Joshua will get the stipulation if he returns to the table.
One thing Wilder has to be careful of is the patience of the WBC. The body cannot be seen to continue favoring his rating if he’s not active at all. It’s then highly possible that Wilder could find himself out of the reckoning.
Joshua would then face the next contender in line for a crack at the winner of Fury vs Usyk. At present, that honor goes to undefeated man mountain Arslanbek Makhmudov.
Phil Jay is an experienced boxing news writer.
Editor of World Boxing News since 2010.
