Deontay Wilder’s Comeback: Six Potential Opponents for Anthony Joshua
Deontay Wilder has announced his return to the boxing ring, putting aside any thoughts of retirement as he gears up to face Tyrrell Herndon on June 27th in a heavyweight showdown set to take place in Wichita, Kansas. This announcement comes on the heels of a devastating knockout defeat to Zhilei Zhang in June, following a prior points loss to Joseph Parker just six months earlier. Many had speculated that these back-to-back losses would mark the end of Wilder’s illustrious career, but he has chosen to forge ahead.
Wilder’s upcoming opponent, Tyrrell Herndon, boasts a professional record of 24 wins, 5 losses, and 0 draws, with 15 of those victories coming by way of knockout. While Herndon is considered a journeyman in the heavyweight division, he has recently bounced back from a second-round TKO loss to unbeaten Olympic silver medalist Richard Torrez in October 2023, winning three fights since then. His most recent bout was a closely contested six-round split decision victory over Rudy Silvas in May 2024.
This fight is expected to be promoted by pay-per-view platform BLK Prime, making it a noteworthy event in the Midwest boxing scene. Wilder, who has a current record of 43 wins, 4 losses, and 1 draw (42 KOs), has faced a challenging period in the ring, winning only one of his last five fights. The 39-year-old known as the “Bronze Bomber” experienced a shocking unanimous decision defeat to Parker and was knocked out in five rounds by Zhang.
Last year, Wilder was in talks for a highly anticipated super-fight against Anthony Joshua, 35, with Saudi Arabia’s boxing mogul Turki Alalshikh ready to back the event financially. A deal was nearly finalized, but those plans were derailed when Parker delivered an unexpected points victory over Wilder.
In the aftermath of his losses, Wilder went silent but resurfaced in November to express his determination to continue fighting. In an interview with TMZ, he stated, “The best is yet to come. I had a lot of outside distractions that I had to get rid of. I took care of a lot of people, and it got to the point where I couldn’t do it anymore. I’ve got seven kids of my own; I can’t take care of everybody. Even the closest ones to me, I’ve been betrayed so many times. It’s been a domino effect for the last five years. The thing about betrayal is it’s worse than heartbreak.”
Despite the recent setbacks, Wilder is still viewed as one of the most formidable punchers in heavyweight history. His championship trilogy with Tyson Fury is legendary, despite the outcomes of 0-2-1, including knocking Fury down twice in both the first and third bouts. However, he was stopped in the seventh round of their rematch.
Now, Wilder is poised to seek his first victory since October 2022, when he achieved a first-round knockout against Robert Helenius. This fight against Herndon could be a pivotal moment in his career as he looks to reclaim his status in the heavyweight ranks.
This is a developing story…
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