Deontay Wilder claims that the long-discussed fight with Oleksandr Usyk did not fall apart at the negotiating table – it was never in line with the plan already being implemented.
Wilder told Fight Hub TV that Usyk’s idea was a possibility “in moments,” but as the buzz grew, there was still no confirmed date or place for talks to begin.
With no date or location set, Wilder returned his focus to a fight that had been in the works for much longer.
Chisora’s fight was already on the move
Wilder explained that negotiations to fight Derek Chisora had been ongoing for months and were initially scheduled to take place in December before other circumstances delayed them.
“Me and Derek have been working on the fight for a very long time,” Wilder said. “Actually, this fight was supposed to take place in December, you know what I mean, but due to other situations and things, it didn’t happen.”
Before Usyk’s name entered solemn discussion, Wilder said that the agreement with Chisora was already part of a broader plan that he did not want to abandon.
Usyk’s conversations lacked structure
Wilder said Usyk was the first to mention the fight, which sparked a wave of attention and conversation. But he also suggested that the situation never emerged with the fundamentals needed to move things forward quickly.
“He was the first one to mention it, he wanted to fight me,” Wilder said, describing how talks gained momentum. “But I don’t think they, you know, really had a set date, a place that they wanted to go that was still happening. And, you know, the clock is ticking, ticking.”
As World Boxing News exclusively reported last year, Shelly Finkel wanted Wilder in the ring by the end of 2025. At the age of 40, Wilder stressed that waiting without guidance was not an option.
“I can’t sit idly by, I can’t sit idly by,” Wilder said. “And of course we have plans for what we want to do to get to the top.”
Time beyond chance
Instead of viewing the situation as rejection, Wilder described it as time and progress. He said his path back has already been mapped out and he needs a step that fits what comes next.
“The second fight will be at a slightly different level than my opponent, but a bit more,” Wilder said. “And then along came Derek Chisora (fight), who was on par the whole time because we need someone like that.”
Wilder made it clear that interest in Usyk had increased, even though his own career path had already been mapped out. Without a solid framework for action, he was not prepared for time to stand still.
The opportunity may return. For now, the division has gone further. According to Wilder, this time it wasn’t about fear or money. It was about the lack of a plan and the fact that he didn’t want to sit still while creating one.
The immediate consequence is clear: the path to the WBC title has changed, with president Mauricio Sulaiman stating that Usyk must next face mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel.
About the author
Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN), boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.
Zuffa Boxing has announced that its first event in Ireland, branded Zuffa Boxing 10, will take place on Saturday, August 8 at the 3Arena in Dublin. Organizers of the promotion, headed by Dana White, said details about the main event, joint performance and ticket sales will be announced soon.
DUBLIN, ARE YOU READY?? 🇮🇪 #ZuffaBoxing10 is coming to you LIVE from @3ArenaDublin! | August 8
According to the promotion, the card will be broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and streamed on Paramount+ in the US and Canada. Its broadcasts in the UK and Ireland are covered by a long-term contract with Sky Sports announced in March.
The expected headliner of the Cork middleweight gala will be Callum Walsh (16-0, 11 KO). according to 42 and Irish boxing, although Zuffa has not confirmed this card. Walsh won Zuffa Boxing’s debut event on January 23 in Las Vegas with a unanimous decision over Carlos Ocampo and has not fought since. The Cobh native, trained by Freddie Roach, fought mainly in the United States, but once boxed in Dublin, headlining the 3Arena gala after his victory over Przemysław Runowski.
The 42 reports that Monaghan’s Aaron McKenna (20-0, 10 KO) is set to be the main support for an IBF middleweight world title fight against Italian Etinosa Oliha (22-0, 10 KO). Both pairs are expected to fight for the vacant belt that became available after Janibek Alimkhanuly was stripped of his belt following a failed anti-doping test. McKenna is third in the IBF rankings and Oliha is second.
Dublin will be Zuffa Boxing’s second card outside the United States. The first event, Zuffa Boxing 07, will take place this Saturday at the Bournemouth International Center in England, where former world cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith will face Ryan Rozicki in a 10-round cruiserweight main event.
The August 8 date means the Dublin gala will take place a week after Queensberry Promotions’ show at the same venue, headlined by Pierce O’Leary against Mark Chamberlain, with Tyson Fury scheduled to appear.
Frank Warren believes Tyson Fury will not only beat Anthony Joshua when the long-awaited heavyweight clash finally happens, but also stop him.
The All-British clash is scheduled for November, after a delay from its earlier summer date. Warren confirmed that Fury signed a contract for the fight in January, and both men are expected to undergo interim fights before the fight becomes official.
When asked how he sees the fight developing, Warren made it clear he expected Fury to win and pointed to Joshua’s knockout loss to Daniel Dubois as a major factor.
“I think Tyson will win,” Warren told Secondsout, predicting a Tyson Fury knockout over Joshua.
“I think Tyson will stop him.
“Did you see him fight Daniel Dubois? That gives me that confidence. I was sure Daniel Dubois would do it and he did it, and I’m sure Tyson will do the same in brief order, no matter what catches him.”
Earlier in the interview, Warren also suggested that Joshua was still feeling the effects of the Dubois defeat.
“He has the specter and cloud of what happened when he fought Daniel Dubois hanging over him. So, you know, he’s vulnerable if he gets caught now,” Warren said.
Joshua is scheduled to return on July 25 against Kristian Pregna, while Fury is scheduled to fight his own warm-up fight before November. Warren said the location for the proposed blockbuster has yet to be determined, though he confirmed the fight remains signed and will likely take place later this year, provided both heavyweights win their fights.
Olly Campbell is a boxing journalist covering this sport since 2014, providing reports from the ring and technical analyzes of the most crucial fights. His work focuses on fighter tendencies, tactical adjustments and the details that shape high-level competition.
David Benavidez won the WBA and WBO cruiserweight world titles with his last fight, and the “Mexican Monster” may add to his collection in the future after one of the world champions was ordered to fight him under the threat of being stripped of his belt.
As a result, the 29-year-old must decide whether he should return to the featherlight heavyweight scene or stay in the cruiserweight division, where he put in arguably the best performance of his career last time out after tuning out his fight with Jai Opetaia.
However, Benavidez was also named the WBC cruiserweight mandatory challenger and was ordered to fight WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian, another who has been linked to a fight with Opetaia.
If Mikaelian refuses to defend the title against Benavidez, the WBC president announced in an interview for the WBC magazine that he would strip the Armenian of the belt. Boxing Scene.
“The WBC order is Mikaelian against Benavidez. That’s all. If he fights again, he will waive his obligations to the WBC.”
“[There is no deadline] at this time. I will be talking to different managers. This is the highest priority. I look forward to making sure that happens.”
If Mikaeilian decides to continue the fight with Opetaia and thus lose the world title, it can be expected that Polish-born interim champion Michał Cieślak will benefit. Either he will be elevated to full world champion and ordered to make his first defense against Benavidez, or he will be included in a vacant belt fight against the three-division world champion.
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