Deontay Wilder Responds to Oleksandr Usyk Callout With Strong Statement

There is a lot of intrigue around what Oleksandr Usyk is going to do next in his boxing career. There hasn’t been much activity or content from the former undisputed heavyweight champion and pound-for-pound great ever since his KO victory over Daniel Dubois in the 5th round of their July 19 bout.

While every heavyweight has been jockeying for position to be his next opponent, Usyk hadn’t even conveyed whether he wanted to fight again, let alone who he was keen to match up against.

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Some believe that his most likely next opponent would be Fabio Wardley after Wardley beat Joseph Parker, especially because Wardley now holds the WBO heavyweight belt. Then again, Usyk relinquished that belt because he had no interest in fighting Wardley, as becoming undisputed again doesn’t seem to be his biggest interest.

Instead, Usyk wants to fight the biggest names. This is why he has expressed an openness to fighting against UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and Jake Paul in recent months.

Oleksandr Usyk Calls Deontay Wilder Out, Wilder’s Team Responds

However, Usyk has conveyed that he has an active heavyweight icon and superstar in the sport in his sights next, which he asserted during a December 1 interview with Boxing King Media.

“I want to fight Deontay Wilder. I think it’s interesting,” Usyk said while speaking at the WBC convention in Thailand, per a video from Boxing King Media’s YouTube channel.

When asked why he wants to face Wilder, Usyk said, “This is a world champion guy, this is a very famous guy, this is a strong guy. He is one of the great heavyweights of the last 10 years.”

It didn’t take Wilder’s team to respond to this callout from Usyk, as Wilder’s co-manager Shelly Finkel told Sky Sports on December 1, “Usyk is a great champion. We have plans for next year, and we’d like Oleksandr Usyk to be part of them. If we receive the right offer, we would be open to that fight.”

While this message was technically from Wilder’s manager rather than from himself, it’s obvious that he was behind this fight callout response. And this would be a huge gift for Wilder, who didn’t appear close to fighting for a title before Usyk called him out in this way.

There’s no question that Wilder is a heavy puncher who could potentially put Usyk’s lights out. Still, the skill difference between them would likely make many boxing fans apathetic to this potential bout.

Oleksandr Usyk expresses desire to fight Deontay Wilder who would be open to world title clash in 2026

Oleksandr Usyk wants to defend his world heavyweight titles against Deontay Wilder, who has welcomed a fight against the unified champion.

The Ukrainian has broken his silence about his next career move, confirming that he wants to put his WBC, WBA and IBF belts on the line against Wilder.

Usyk has been absent from the ring since his stoppage of Daniel Dubois in their July rematch, but the two-time undisputed world heavyweight champion is now targeting the American, who had a lengthy reign as the WBC champion.

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Speaking at the WBC convention in Thailand, Usyk told Boxing King Media: “I want to fight Deontay Wilder. I think it’s interesting.

“This is a world champion guy, this is a very famous guy, this is a strong guy

“He is one of the great heavyweights of the last 10 years.”

Wilder, who returned to the ring with a seventh-round stoppage of Tyrrell Anthony Herndon in June, would be open to a fight against Usyk.

“Usyk is a great champion,” Wilder’s co-manager Shelly Finkel told Sky Sports.

“We have plans for next year and we’d like Oleksandr Usyk to be part of them.

“If we receive the right offer, we would be open to that fight.”

The Alabama fighter could receive the chance to become a world champion again, a decade after he dethroned Bermane Stiverne to become WBC champion in January 2015.

Usyk became the undisputed world heavyweight champion for a second time after he halted Dubois in the fifth round at Wembley Stadium.

The unbeaten 38-year-old vacated the WBO belt last week and Britain’s Fabio Wardley was elevated as the new WBO champion.

But Usyk has vowed to unify all four major titles again in the future, telling the WBC convention: “Some people are saying I’m not undisputed champion anymore. Well, that is only temporary.”

Stephan “Big Shot” Shaw demands attention in the heavyweight division: he wants real opportunities and a shot at the world title, starting with Oleksandr Usyk.

The 33-year-old spoke to World Boxing News exclusively after a video of him working Amazon delivery shifts went viral two weeks ago, spotlighting a fighter many in the US feel has been overlooked.

Shaw on the Wilder collapse
Shaw confirmed that talks for a fight with Deontay Wilder fell apart in March.

“I’m not aligned with the people that make big fights happen,” Shaw told WBN. “He didn’t want to fight me. They went with someone safer in Tyrell Herndon.

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“I asked his team if he could give me an opportunity after the fight. They told me it would be a big fight and have to make financial sense for all of us, and I responded by saying that I couldn’t agree more.”

The fight never materialized, leaving Shaw sidelined despite his pedigree and proven skills.

Ambitions: Usyk, rematches, and top contenders
Asked to name some of the opponents he wants to target after the Wilder collapse, Shaw gave a surprisingly detailed list, showing how much attention he’s currently paying to the heavyweight climate.

“If I could choose? Oleksandr Usyk for the heavyweight championship of the world,” began Shaw, aiming at the very pinnacle of the sport.

“I have shown who I am, even to bounce back from my defeats. I would love a rematch with Joe Goodall and Efe Ajagba ASAP. They must be too afraid to get back in there with me.”

Giving his full wishlist, Shaw stated, “Joe Goodall, Efe Ajagba, Anthony Joshua, Jared Anderson, Jermaine Franklin, Brandon Moore, Andrii Novytskyi, Jarrell Miller, Michael Hunter, Andy Ruiz, Guido Vianello, Richard Torrez. To throw names out there.”

Frustration with US support
Despite US fans crying out for a new top-tier hero as Wilder prepares for retirement, Shaw admits he is disillusioned with the support.

“The American public doesn’t stick by their fighters like international fighters and their fans. A guy like Derek Chisora, who’s 40+ with 10+ losses (multiple KO losses), can still be beloved and appreciated from his country.”

Why Shaw shouldn’t be on the shelf
Shaw is 21-2 (16 KOs) with a 76% knockout rate, standing 6’4″ with an 81-inch reach. He has 88 professional rounds under his belt, and last fought April 12, 2025, stopping Raphael Akpejiori in the first round at Maryland Live Casino in Hanover.

Currently, Shaw is ranked 41 by BoxRec and number five in the US, and despite signing with ProBox on a three-fight deal, only one has come to fruition, leaving one of America’s most naturally talented heavyweights inactive at a critical stage of his career.

WBN believes Shaw is far too talented to remain inactive, especially given his elite amateur pedigree, professional record, and willingness to face the very best in the division.

With Shaw openly calling out Usyk, pressing for rematches, listing a dozen top contenders, and demanding activity, the message is simple:

He is ready. He wants big names. And the heavyweight division can no longer ignore him.