Deontay Wilder has said that negotiations with Oleksandr Usyk are “very positive” and he has promised to win a stunning upset against the world heavyweight champion. Usyk is allowed to defend his WBC title voluntarily, but the Ukrainian camp appears to prefer the former champion Wilder.
Wilder has been unbeaten for his first 43 professional fights. He has now lost four of the last six, and his two wins in this time were against opponents who are well below the world-level.
Usyk has beaten British trio Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury twice each. A bout with the powerful Wilder in the USA is an appealing option.Wilder told IBA Boxing in Dubai that he believes the fight will happen. “I don’t doubt it, especially now that negotiations are underway, it looks promising.”
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Oleksandr Usyk vs Deontay Wilder next? Andy Scott of Sky Sports Boxing examines the reasons behind the potential fight.
“My mind is racing right now, I just want to get in, I just need to do this, I have been waiting for it to happen, because nothing physical ever happened, everything was mental.
“Now that I am here, and have this wonderful opportunity, I look forward to it.” “Hopefully the negotiation will go just as smoothly as it is now. All agreements are fair.”
Usyk remains undefeated, but he is no longer undisputed heavyweight champ after vacating his WBO title that he held since 2021. That was when he defeated Anthony Joshua for the first time. The Ukrainian star still remains the unified WBC WBA IBF heavyweight champ.
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2025-12-12 11:30:00
