POWER VS PRECISION: DEONTAY WILDER CONFIRMS TALKS FOR SHOCK 2026 FIGHT WITH OLEKSANDR USYK
Deontay Wilder confirmed to talkSPORT that negotiations for a 2026 fight with Oleksandr Usyk are "real." Usyk, who dropped his WBO title, chose Wilder for a massive payday.
Deontay Wilder told talkSPORT that he's in talks for a fight with Oleksandr Usyk.
Usyk reclaimed the undisputed title after his win against Daniel Dubois in July, but chose to give up his WBO belt after being told to fight Fabio Wardley.
This choice allowed the Ukrainian to pick his next opponent, and he decided to call out Wilder, the American known for his punching power.
This surprised many, who thought Usyk might face a top contender or pursue a third fight with Tyson Fury.
Wilder has only one win since 2023, and some have suggested he should retire.
However, the American boxer still pulls in big crowds, and his powerful right hand is still seen as one of the division's most dangerous.
Both teams said they want to make the fight happen in 2026.
Wilder, speaking from Dubai before Pulev vs Gassiev, told talkSPORT that negotiations are underway.
The chat is real, Wilder said to talkSPORT's White & Jordan at the 2025 IBA Men’s Boxing World Championship.
Boxing is a job, but deals can fall apart. Right now, we are talking about that fight, yes.
I'm looking forward to it. Once I know the details, I'll be ready to go.
I'm excited about the possibility, and I'll start camp when things are clearer.
The chances of these two meeting in the ring are getting better every day.
Usyk will likely be the favourite, given his success and Wilder's recent struggles.
However, the fight could still create a lot of money and interest, even though they are at different points in their careers.
Wilder's Thoughts on Usyk's Challenge
Most boxing fans were surprised by Usyk's direct call to fight Wilder.
But Wilder thinks it was going to happen eventually, due to his recent losses against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang.
About Usyk's call-out, he said, I wasn't surprised; I was half and half.
I don't often get chances because of my power.
The power makes it harder, but after losing, people get brave.
Strangely, you get more chances when you lose. When I was winning, I didn't get as many.
When and Where Could Usyk vs. Wilder Happen?
Wilder didn't share many details about the fight contract during his talkSPORT interview.
He is a big star in the US, so Las Vegas, a popular fight location, could be a good choice for the event.
Wilder had mentioned signing a contract for a fight in January, but that is unlikely to happen now.
The fight will probably take place later next year to give them enough time to prepare.
Wilder last fought in June, defeating Tyrrell Herndon, and Usyk is currently recovering from an injury.
TYSON FURY BLASTS ANTHONY JOSHUA AFTER DANIEL DUBOIS STOPS FABIO WARDLEY IN MANCHESTER
Tyson Fury has labelled Anthony Joshua "chinny" after Daniel Dubois secured the WBO heavyweight title against a resilient Fabio Wardley.
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Tyson Fury wasted no time after Daniel Dubois stopped Fabio Wardley this past weekend, using the moment to take a shot at Anthony Joshua.
Dubois picked up his second heavyweight title Saturday night in Manchester, grabbing the WBO belt from Wardley in a wild, bloodied battle that’s already being called a fight of the year candidate.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Dubois, though. He hit the canvas twice in the first three rounds but bounced back hard, battering Wardley late and leaving his face a mess as the final bell sounded.
Wardley never actually went down during the fight, despite looking wobbly near the end. Credit to him for sheer toughness, but Dubois still beat him decisively. This was Dubois’ first victory since his massive upset over Anthony Joshua earlier in 2024, when he floored AJ four times in one night.
On Sunday, Fury chimed in about Dubois’ latest win. With his own fight against Joshua rumoured for later this year on Netflix, Fury saw an opening to stir the pot.
“Just been thinking about Dubois’ crazy fight last night,” Fury said. Dubois fought [Jarrell] Miller, stopped him, but never put him down. He fought. [Filip] Hrgovic stopped him but never put him down. Fought Wardley last night and stopped him, but didn’t put him down. He hit Usyk with bombs but didn’t drop him. But against Anthony Joshua? Drops him five times.”
Fury added, “I’m not saying Joshua’s got no chin, but facts are facts. Take it however you want. Nobody else went down, not Miller, not Hrgovic, not Usyk, not Wardley. But Joshua hits the deck five times? Chinny, get up, slink!”
Fury is coming off a comeback win over Arslanbek Makhmudov and has already signed on to fight Joshua this year. Joshua will warm up first against Albanian heavyweight Kristian Pregna in Saudi Arabia on July 25 before facing Fury.
Promoter Frank Warren says Fury vs. AJ will probably land in October, though Fury might want another tune-up, which could push things back a bit.
As for Dubois, he’s got options. There’s talk of a rematch with Wardley, a chance to settle the score with Usyk in a trilogy, or a domestic showdown with Moses Itauma. Dubois’ dad, Stan, told talkSPORT he’d rather see his son fight another British heavyweight next, not Usyk.
HOW DANIEL DUBOIS SURVIVED TWO KNOCKDOWNS TO STOP A BLOODY FABIO WARDLEY
"I had to dig deep." Read Daniel Dubois' full reaction to his stunning comeback victory against Fabio Wardley in Manchester.
The punch that changed everything wasn't thrown by either of the fighters.
Fabio Wardley came out blazing in his title defence, dropping Daniel Dubois just 10 seconds in. He did it again in the third round, making it look like his big night. But then, something strange happened. As Dubois got up after the fourth round, his trainer, Don Charles, slapped him hard on both cheeks.
That’s when Dubois woke up. “I had to make him realise what he needed to do,” Charles said afterwards. It’s not exactly the kind of thing you see at team-building seminars, but it worked. Dubois turned on, and suddenly Wardley’s reign started to unravel.
Wardley had picked Dubois for the first fight since collecting the WBO belt that Oleksandr Usyk dropped. Honestly, it looked like a smart pick: he dropped Dubois twice and set the tone. But after that slap, Dubois started seeing Wardley’s moves coming; those wild lunges became easier to dodge.
He landed his stiff jab and followed up with savage right hands. Wardley’s jaw somehow took the hits, but his nose was pouring blood, and his right eye was almost swollen shut. He kept pushing forward, showing crazy heart, while Dubois just kept piling on. The fight turned into a brutal spectacle, the kind you can’t look away from.
Wardley got checked twice by doctors but kept fighting. Honestly, it could've stopped before the second-to-last round, when referee Howard Foster finally stepped in. Dubois got his second world title; Wardley, battered and worn, just managed a thumbs up to his mum.
Dubois summed it up later: “I had to dig really deep. When you’re a warrior, you go to dark places. I was nervous at first, all over the place, and had to fight my own battles. That slap woke me up. My dad and everyone were in my corner; I couldn’t let them down.
“Fabio came to fight; he was tough. We were exhausted; it was a real war. I had to use all my skills to win. Great fight, great battle, and I’m No. 1 again.” Sure, Usyk might argue about that, but Dubois proved something; he got up off the canvas and won.
People have called Dubois a quitter since the Joe Joyce fight six years ago. Wardley himself thought Dubois would fold again in Manchester, and for three rounds it looked like he was right until reality snapped Dubois awake.
