By Sam Volz: Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk says he wants to face Deontay ‘Bronze Bomber’ Wilder next, potentially in the United States.
Usyk reportedly plans on attending Wilder’s fight next month against Robert Helenius (31-3, 20 KOs) on October 15th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, according to RingTV.
With Tyson Fury busy likely fighting Anthony Joshua on December 3rd, Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) needs an opponent to keep busy.
Usyk can’t afford to wait for Fury to fight Joshua and then face him next because there’s a possibility those two will be facing each other in a rematch. If that happens, Usyk won’t get a chance to battle Fury until the end of 2023 if he’s still the WBC champion y then.
“Deontay Wilder,” said Oleksandr Usyk to RingTV when asked who he wants to fight next. “Wilder is a dangerous fighter, and that fight would most likely be in the United States.”
It’ll be interesting to see if Wilder (42-2-1, 41 KOs) agrees to challenge Usyk next if he gets by Helenius, as he’s got the potential for a lucrative fight against Joshua in 2023. Also, there’s an option to face Andy Ruiz Jr. in a WBC title eliminator.
Usyk would like like a smaller version of Fury, and I’m not sure that Wilder wants anything to do with that type of fighter at this point in his career.
“We’ve been for real for years and years. If you don’t think Anthony Joshua is for real with the opponents he faces, you have to be daft,” said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV when told that Wilder doesn’t think Joshua is for real and that he was a manufactured heavyweight.
“Didn’t he say we got to spark up a joint and pass around or something like that? One lug of that stuff, and I think I’ll be on my back. It would be quite amusing.
“I’d be happy to discuss with [Deontay’s co-manager] Shelly [Finkel]. I’ve got huge money for Deontay Wilder in the Middle East to fight a number of different opponents, including Dillian Whyte as well.
“I’m happy to have those conversations with those guys anytime. I felt coming off the Usyk defeat that Wilder-AJ would be a fight that we’d definitely see in 2023, but right now, we’re focused on Tyson Fury to see if we can get it over the line,” said Hearn.
