Deontay Wilder has not retired from boxing at the age of 39, and the former WBC heavyweight champion has not issued any official statement.

World Boxing News can confirm that reports circulating on social media are false and originated from a imitation account on Up-to-date Year’s Day. As of January 2, 2025, WBN has had no word from Wilder that he plans to hang up his gloves.

As usual, WBN also asked Shelly Finkel for comment. However, Finkel has repeatedly said in the past that Wilder is not retiring. This case seems to be no different.

The last time Wilder spoke publicly was while promoting a mental health app, the Brown Bomber was unveiling plans to return to the sport.

He said: “The push-up protocol has been disabled. Strengthen your body and train your mind; no paid subscription required! It’s not about money. It’s about a mission to strengthen mindsets and improve mental health for all.
To everyone: operate your services and achieve greatness.

“There will be people who tell you, ‘No, you can’t.’ [No] People trying to stop you or putting up stop signs. [No] People who want to bring you down and keep you down. But you can’t give up.

“No matter how many times you fall, no matter how many times you get knocked down, it’s a resilient mind, a confident mind, a powerful mind that gets back up and keeps moving forward to achieve your greatness.

“Apply your service. Achieve your greatness,” he added.

Deontay Wilder could announce his retirement tomorrow if he changed his mind, but at the time of the report, there was no truth to it.

When Zhilei Zhang knocked him out on June 1 in Saudi Arabia, the formidable top-flight contender needed time to assess his situation. WBN understands that Wilder has received offers, including contact from Francis Ngannou, regarding a possible boxing match with the MMA star.

The Wilder vs. Ngannou fight only makes sense for an American his age. Many voluntary positions [of which Wilder is WBC number 13] are occupied by threatening opponents who would start each clash as favorites.

Meanwhile, the Ngannou fight is winnable with less risk and more rewards, meaning Wilder can still earn a significant payday before hanging up his gloves for good.

World Boxing News can reveal that Manny Pacquiao Jr. he is training to be able to compete in professional ranks in the future.

According to coach Marvin Somodo Manny Jr. he will follow in the footsteps of his legendary father Manny Pacquiao and become a prize fighter. Junior currently splits his time between home and Wild Card Gym under the tutelage of Somodo and Freddie Roach.

A former boxer, Roach rose to fame as Pacquiao Sr.’s trainer, earning him numerous world championships and a Hall of Fame career that may not be over yet. Despite being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in a ceremony scheduled for the summer, Pacquiao still hopes to face Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight crown in July.

WBN understands that Manny Jr. could appear on the undercard if the fight goes according to plan.

Discussing Junior’s progress, Somodo spoke exclusively to World Boxing News.

“Manny Jr. I just train every day, just like my other professional players,” Somodo explained to WBN. We hope to get him a fight soon, but the most significant thing is to keep improving him in the gym every day. The plan for him is to turn pro in the future and when I see he is ready. The plan is for him to become a professional boxer, but you never know.

When asked about Junior’s development, Somodo replied: “He’s doing really well. His work ethic is really good. You see him every day at the gym and you never complain. We spar with world-class players and he does well. His future depends on his performance once he turns pro. I believe he will cope, but time will tell,” he concluded.

Pacquiao Jr. he achieved mixed results in amateur competitions and suffered four defeats in a row. But his game may be better suited to professional fighters if he’s anything like his dad, an eight-weight world titleholder.

23-year-old Pacquiao Jr. time is running out and he must make a move within the next six months. This decision will coincide perfectly with the return of Pacquiao Sr. and will allow the pair to make history by fighting for the same stakes this summer in Las Vegas.

World Boxing News wishes all its readers, boxing fans and supporters of this sport a Merry Christmas.

The year 2024 was great again, with many huge fights and massive events taking place in the sport. Oleksandr Usyk ruled the year with two wins over Tyson Fury and won the WBN Fighter of the Year award for the second time in three years.

Saudi Arabia continued to be a force in the sport as streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime increased competition for DAZN’s original streamers.

Next year promises to be another essential year. Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 and David Benavidez .vs. David Morrell has already been confirmed to play in the spring. Mexican star Canelo Alvarez will review his Cinco De Mayo plans next month and add more to the schedule.

Boxing fans have a lot to look forward to, and WBN aims to bring you all the most essential news as we celebrate our fifteenth year in 2025. WBN will take a miniature break until December 27, when we will return to continue the work we started in 2010.

We wish everyone a special time during the holiday season and see you when the weekend begins.

Take care of yourself – Phil Jay, WBN editor-in-chief.

Before we come back, read some of our latest headlines.

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Gervonta Davis is wreaking havoc with her latest outburst

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