"He will fight this year" - WBC president expects Deontay Wilder to return in the coming months
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman expects Deontay Wilder to return to action this year.
'The Bronze Bomber' has been out of action since October 2021. His latest bout was the trilogy fight with Tyson Fury, which was seen as one of the greatest heavyweight boxing matches ever. After 10 rounds of carnage that saw both men hit the canvas, Wilder was knocked out in the 11th frame.
Since that defeat, the former WBC Heavyweight Champion has been publicly questioning his future. At the age of 36, with back-to-back knockout losses, Wilder himself pondered if he was done inside the ring.
While it's still yet to be seen if he will return, the WBC seems to believe he will. The sanctioning body still has him ranked No.3 in their heavyweight division.
Speaking of a possible return for the former champion in an interview with Sky Sports, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said:
"He's taking it easy, he's weighing up his plans for the future, he had a very busy reign as a champion, two knockout losses to Fury - difficult but he's matured and he's doing very well. He's having a good time with his wife, he's enjoying life but I'm sure he'll be back. I'm sure he will fight this year. He's one of those fighters that you rarely see in the ring that has the ability to knock somebody out with one punch and he has had many exciting fights. He's a great fighter and great person."
See Mauricio Sulaiman discuss Deontay Wilder's return below:
Will Deontay Wilder return this year? 🗞️
Deontay Wilder should fight for the title next, says Tyson Fury
Tyson Fury believes that 'The Bronze Bomber' should return to fight for the WBC heavyweight title next.
'The Gypsy King' has stated that he plans to retire from the sport of boxing following his win over Dillian Whyte this past weekend. The announcement means that he will likely be stripped of his WBC and The Ring heavyweight titles.
When asked about his former opponent's future in an interview with Behind The Gloves, Fury stated that he believes Wilder should fight for the title once he gives it up. The champion said:
"I'd like to see Deontay Wilder fight whoever for it... He's lost three fights in a row and is still number one. One thing, Deontay made 10 title defenses, more than anybody else. He equalled Muhammad Ali's, beat Vitali Klitschko's record, doesn't get the credit he deserves and I do believe he's still the second-best in the world, Deontay Wilder. I believe he knocks everybody else out but me."
Catch the full interview below: