Deontay Wilder says negotiations to fight Alexander Usyk are looking “very promising” and has vowed to pull off a sensational victory against the world heavyweight champion.
Usyka was allowed to voluntarily defend his WBC title, and the Ukrainian camp seems to see former champion Wilder as their preferred opponent.
Wilder, who was unbeaten in his first 43 professional bouts, has lost four of his last six fights and his two wins in that time have come against far below world class opposition.
However, with Usyk having defeated the British trio of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois twice each, a fight against the mighty Wilder, most likely in the US, is an attractive option.
“Just the excitement that has attracted boxing fans is incredible, and I have no doubt that it will happen, especially at this point in the negotiations, it looks very promising,” said Wilder during an interview with IBA Boxing at IBA Pro 13 in Dubai.
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Oleksandr Usyk vs. Deontay Wilder? Sky Sports Boxing’s Andy Scott takes a closer look at the reasons why the potential fight could happen
“My heart is pumping right now just to get back inside, this is something I need, this is something I’ve been waiting for to get myself back together mentally, because physically, physically nothing ever happened, it was just mental – to get myself back together mentally.”
“And now that I’m here and I have this opportunity, it’s a beautiful thing, so I’m looking forward to it. I hope the negotiations go as smoothly as they have now, everything is fairly agreed.”
Usyk is undefeated but no longer the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world after vacating the WBO championship he had held since 2021 when he first defeated Anthony Joshua.
The Ukrainian star remains the unified WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight champion.
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Watch highlights from Alexander Usyk’s spectacular knockout victory over Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium
With his last fight a knockout victory over American Tyrrell Anthony Herndon in June, Wilder is confident of extending his winning streak.
“I pray that things will be fair,” he added.
“Usik is a man of God and things like that, so I hope he will take that into account, just let things be fair, with everything and we have a big fight.”
“I’m sorry, but the world will see, ‘and new!’
Wilder reveals an additional motivation
Wilder lost back-to-back world title bouts to Fury in 2020 and 2021, before suffering further losses to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang in 2023 and 2024 that saw many write him off as a top contender.
The Alabama fighter, who turned 40 in October, says he has extra motivation to prove doubters wrong.
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Back in 2018, Oleksandr Usyk showed his heavyweight class as he patiently dismantled Tony Bellew before finding a ruthless finish
“Damn right,” he said. “That would motivate anyone.”
“My life was crazy. The spiral I went through was crazy.
“And just to come back, and to go through all the things that I went through, and still have the right mindset, still happy, still love people, it didn’t take anything away from that.”
“I’m still here, and to get this opportunity, I’m lucky that I,
“And like I said to Usika, I appreciate it. So we’ll see, the fans are getting ready, there’s going to be something.”