Oleksandr Usyk has named Deontay Wilder as the opponent he wants next as he looks to defend his world heavyweight championships, and Wilder’s camp say they would consider the bout.
Usyk, who holds the WBC, WBA and IBF belts, spoke for the first time about his next move after stopping Daniel Dubois in their July rematch at Wembley Stadium, a fifth-round finish that made him undisputed world heavyweight champion for a second time. Speaking at the WBC convention in Thailand to Boxing King Media, Usyk described Wilder as an intriguing and powerful opponent and said he wants the fight.
Wilder, who returned to the ring in June with a seventh-round stoppage of Tyrrell Anthony Herndon, would be receptive to the challenge, according to his co-manager Shelly Finkel. Finkel told Sky Sports that Wilder is a great champion, that there are plans for next year, and that they would welcome Usyk being part of those plans if the right offer comes.
A victory for Wilder would put him back into world-title contention nearly a decade after he first won the WBC crown by beating Bermane Stiverne in January 2015.
Usyk, 38 and unbeaten, recently vacated the WBO belt, with Britain’s Fabio Wardley elevated to WBO champion. Usyk has said he intends to reunify all four major belts in time and dismissed suggestions that his undisputed status is gone as only temporary.
At this stage the fight is a prospective matchup rather than a confirmed deal, but both camps have signalled openness, making the potential clash one of the most talked-about possibilities on the heavyweight landscape.