Deontay Wilder, honoured with a bronze statue in his hometown of Tuscaloosa, has established himself as a significant figure in boxing. Known as one of the most formidable punchers and heavyweights of the 21st century (43-4-1, 42 KOs), his performance has shown signs of decline in recent bouts.
Despite having secured only one victory in his last five appearances, `The Bronze Bomber` remains committed to continuing his career. He is determined to regain his position at the top of the heavyweight division in 2025, expressing particular excitement for a potential fight against a specific American competitor.
Wilder`s tenure as WBC heavyweight champion lasted over five years. During his ten title defenses, he knocked out every challenger except Tyson Fury. Their initial contest ended in a draw before Fury defeated Wilder in their rematch, ending his reign.
That loss initiated a challenging period for Wilder. His sole win since 2019 was a first-round stoppage of Robert Helenius. This victory came amidst consecutive knockout defeats to Tyson Fury and subsequent losses to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang.
The defeat to Zhang last year seemed likely to conclude the career of the now 39-year-old fighter. However, recent confirmations indicate that Wilder will indeed fight on, seeking a return to winning form in a less high-profile match against Tyrrell Herndon (24-5, 15 KOs) scheduled for the end of June.
Speaking with TMZ Sports, Wilder acknowledged that the fight against Herndon is intended as a tune-up but insisted he is approaching it with seriousness, viewing it as a necessary step towards competing on the grand stage once more.
He commented, “It`s going to be a great fight while it lasts… but I am taking it personally and seriously. Once I have completed the task of these fights, then we will move on and put myself back into the limelight of the heavy hitters and into even bigger and better fights.”
With American boxing fans eager for a domestic heavyweight contender at the elite level, Wilder further fueled anticipation by stating he “cannot wait” for an eventual clash with the outspoken Jarrell Miller (26-1-2, 22 KOs). He delivered a sharp response to Miller, who recently declared his intention to “smash” Wilder.
Wilder retorted, “The only thing that he is smashing is burgers, and he can barely do that well. With him, it is all talk, talk, talk. If that fight does land for him—I can`t wait for it. If it does land for him, I hope that he has already paid for his grave burial. I don`t play around with him, if I saw him today, I would slap the f**k out of him… I ain`t playing around with nobody, Deontay Wilder has returned fully and everybody will respect the name of him.”
Like Wilder, Miller also has a fight scheduled for June, where he is set to compete against undefeated British fighter Fabio Wardley (18-0-1, 17 KOs) in Ipswich. With their schedules aligning, a fight between Wilder and Miller could become a genuine possibility later in the year, particularly if Miller does not succeed in his bout in the UK.
