Deontay Wilder will fight on BLK Prime in April against an opponent yet to be determined. Wilder’s manager, Shelly Finkel, will reveal the opponent in Los Angeles on Saturday.
In order for BLK Prime to get its money’s worth, Wilder needs to fight someone the fans are interested in seeing. He has looked hellishly bad in his last two fights, losing to Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker.
Return in April
There has been talk of Francis Ngannou potentially fighting Wilder. If he is the opponent, some people want to see the match because Ngannou gave Tyson Fury a lot of trouble. This was a Fury out of shape.
Former WBC heavyweight champion Wilder (43-4-1, 42 KOs) is coming off a fifth-round knockout of Zhilei Zhang on June 1 in Riyadh. This was the 39-year-old Deontay’s fourth loss in his last five fights since 2020.
The blows that Zhang hit Wilder were much harder than the slapping that Tyson Fury had in his three fights with him.
“The Bronze Bomber” has not looked like the same fighter he once was since he was knocked out by Tyson Fury in the seventh round of their rematch on February 22, 2020.
“I’m told @BronzeBomber will be back for a comeback fight in April on BLK Prime. Wilder and manager Shelley Finkel will meet with the media in Los Angeles on Saturday to announce the opponent,” Manouk Akopyan said in Xtalking about Deontay Wilder’s next fight.
Fans would like to see Deontay fight with the same ruthless aggression he had during his prime, but it doesn’t seem likely to happen. He is nearing 40 years old, super rich with an estimated net worth of $40 million, and can no longer pull the trigger on his fists.
It’s not that he can’t. He just seems afraid to throw out for fear of being met. That’s how Fury hurt Wilder, and it seems he’s had a hard time forgetting that terrible experience.
Wilder has won just one fight in the past five years, beating former sparring partner Robert Helenius for a first-round knockout in 2022.
