As fans know, Oleksandr Usyk recently signed a deal with promotional group Skills Challenge, the reigning WBA/IBF/WBO heavyweight champion reaching an agreement with the Saudi promotional outfit. And now, as per a story from ProBox TV, former WBC heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder has “agreed promotional terms” with Skills Challenge, his deal expected to be announced next week.
Not only that, but according to the story, unified world lightweight champion Devin Haney is “on the verge” of signing with the Saudi outfit as well. If this proves to be true, Skills Challenge will have three big names on their books, as well as a biggish name, with WBC cruiserweight champ Badou Jack having signed up with Skills Challenge some time ago.
Wilder, who for years worked with Al Haymon, spoke earlier this year about his plans to become an “open fighter, an open agent.” Now, with Wilder still in negotiations to fight Anthony Joshua in the Middle East in December, we await news of Wilder’s next fight, his first fight under the Skills Challenge banner.
Both Wilder and Joshua have said they plan to take a fight prior to their December clash, and it will of course be interesting to see just who Wilder fights next. Of course, plenty of fans remain sceptical Wilder and Joshua will actually fight.
But in terms of Skills Challenge, the new promotional group seemingly has very deep pockets, with Usyk and now Wilder, and maybe Haney surely picking up a small fortune to sign with them, and people will be watching to see how many top fighters S C can and will scoop up over the coming months and years.
Details of Wilder’s deal, such as for how long and for how many fights he will work with Skills Challenge, should make interesting reading next week. Wilder did say a short time ago that he aims to be back in the ring in August or September at the latest, and there was and is talk of Wilder taking on Francis Ngannou in not one but two fights, one in boxing, the other in MMA. Could the boxing match with Ngannou turn out to be Wilder’s next fight prior to the Joshua clash? And if so, is this a dangerous move on Wilder’s part?
