Boxing
Oleksandr Usyk leaves Deontay Wilder out of retirement plan
Wilder had previously been linked with a clash with the Ukrainian champion before negotiations cooled down.
Usyk considered the possibility of fighting Wilder earlier this year after he declined interest in fighting Fabio Wardley and walked away from one of his belts. Discussions about a heavyweight bout continued for months, but the fight never reached the contract stage.
The landscape changed quickly. Usyk is now expected to defend his title against kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven in May in Egypt, part of a plan that he says includes three more fights before retiring.
Also on that shortlist is a possible meeting with the winner of Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois, as well as a third fight with Tyson Fury. Wilder’s name was not mentioned.
The former WBC heavyweight champion said the omission surprised him.
“Oh, Deontay Wilder isn’t there? He changed course,” Wilder said Daily mail.
Wilder suggested his reputation as one of the most hazardous punchers in the division may have played a role.
“Most of the time when people meet me and see me, there is an intimidation factor,” Wilder said.
Still, he insisted the situation wasn’t changing his direction.
“We’ll see if it happens, if it doesn’t happen it won’t ruin my dreams,” Wilder said. “I’m still here whether he’s here or not. No matter who’s here, I’m not here for any other fighter in the division.”
Wilder’s immediate attention now turns to another task. The American boxer is scheduled to face veteran Derek Chisora on April 4 in London. This fight took place after prolonged negotiations with Usyk.
Wilder said the timetable for Usyk discussions was simply moving too slowly for a player at his stage of the game.
“Even though we were in talks with Usyk, we still didn’t have a date or a place, we were still hanging around,” Wilder said. talkSPORT.
“In boxing, everything is very tardy or very rapid. There is no in between. And this was very tardy.”
At the age of 40, Wilder said waiting was not an option.
“I’m an older player; I can’t sit idly by like a teenage player. So when we were negotiating with Usyk, we started negotiating with Chisora.”
By the time talks with Usyk resumed, the contract with Chisora had already been finalized.
“And then when we signed the contract with Chisora, then Usyk’s people came and said, ‘OK, let’s go, we’re ready,'” Wilder said. “But I had no intention of doing Chisora like that.”
Wilder is now focused on the fight in London. Chisora remains one of the division’s most persistent pressure fighters, a man who forces exchanges and keeps the pace high.
The task is clear. Wilder still has a right hand that can end the fight the moment it lands. Now he needs to start stringing together wins if he wants his name to come up again when heavyweight belts are up for grabs.
Chris Billam-Smith believes Ryan Rozicki is taking his opportunity seriously, but he doesn’t think a single training camp will make up for the years spent competing at the next level.
The former WBO cruiserweight champion will return against Rozicki in Bournemouth on Saturday, with the winner moving closer to a major fight in the division led by Jai Opetai.
Billam-Smith was asked if Rozicki truly believed he belonged at this level.
“I believe he thinks he’s been given an opportunity. He takes it very seriously and does everything he has to do. But sometimes it’s just not enough. Sometimes you’re just not good enough,” Billiam-Smith told ProBox TV.
“I think he is what he is in terms of his punching power, his physique and what he does. But sometimes there are things you can’t just incorporate in training camp. When I’ve been doing it for so long and been at the next level for so long, you can’t just make up for it in one training camp.”
Rozicki comes into the fight with a reputation as one of the toughest fighters in the division and has repeatedly talked about ending the fight by knockout. Billam-Smith acknowledged the threat but believes experience will be a factor when they meet.
“He’s talked about it before: ‘I win by knockout or I get knocked out.’ So there’s no doubt in my mind that he knows he can get beat.
“But I think he thinks it’s a good opportunity.”
Saturday’s fight is Billam-Smith’s first appearance since his points win over Brandon Glanton in April 2025. A victory will put him in top cruiserweight fights, including a potential clash with Ring magazine champion Jai Opetaia.
“For me, I think he believes he has a chance and will give it his all. But the Jai Opetaia fight is the one I want at the moment. It’s the next step, but I have to take care of things on Saturday first.”
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Last update: 2026/06/04 at 11:24
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