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Why Tyson Fury Is Unfazed by Deontay Wilder’s Exposing Threats Even as He Makes Bold Oleksandr Usyk Claims

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Tyson Fury Deontay Wilder Oleksandr Usyk

Even with a new fight on the horizon, it seems like Tyson Fury’s greatest battles remain with the ghosts of past rivalries.

Fury’s former rival Deontay Wilder claimed that he has “proof” that the  British boxer cheated in their fights. However, the former ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ finds the allegations funny!

“I have no idea what he was on about. He’s had too many punches to the head, for sure,” Fury told iFL TV‘s Kugan Cassius when asked if Wilder’s threats to expose alleged cheating in their first two fights worried him. “I’m waiting for the documentary to come out.”

Tyson Fury also mocked his former opponent’s slip of tongue, calling “documentary” as “docu-me-mory”. The ‘Bronze Bomber’ has alleged that Fury practiced glove tampering to gain an unfair advantage in their encounters. It’s a narrative the American has stuck with for years. Fury teased that he had “napalm” inside his gloves. Wilder challenged Fury to sue him if he’s lying. It’s not only his trilogy with Wilder that he gets asked about; he’s also frequently questioned about his recent rivalry with Usyk.

JUST IN: For Major Fights Claressa Shields Confirms She’ll Drop From Heav

In another catch-up in which he was accompanied by boxing great Lennox Lewis, he reiterated his old claims. He believed he deserved the wins instead of the back-to-back losses against Oleksandr Usyk. The two met in 2024 and exchanged 24 rounds in fights scheduled in May and December.

“I know in my heart I won those fights, yeah?” Fury said. “When you’re a man and you fight another man, if you lose, you know you lose, and I shake the man’s hand—fair play. Listen, he’s got them; he did win; he’s got his decisions; he won them; fair play. I kissed him on the head and congratulated him—fair play. But he knows, and I know he didn’t beat me. He gets his decisions, fantastic.”

Against that backdrop, Usyk has been struggling to land a matchup while rumors of a fight with a former kickboxing champion continue to float. Flipping the narrative, Fury argued that despite the “so-called losses,” he is making more money through a Netflix event than Usyk, who is still struggling to land a fight.

Tyson Fury feels Deontay Wilder could be going through mental health issues

Tyson Fury feels that Deontay Wilder could be dealing with “mental health issues.” He planned to go for a tit-for-tat response to Wilder’s allegations. But he eventually decided against it.

“Rather than just go back and forth with him and yada yada yada, saying he’s deluded and all that, I’m just going to pray for him, and I’m going to ask God to help him,” Fury said. “I’m going to ask the Father to bring him back to the light cuz this man is a lost, lost soul, and I beg Jesus to turn him, to return him to the kingdom.”

Fury’s confidence in his fair and square wins is backed by many. Yet it’s not clear if the same support will be extended toward the Usyk fight claims.

When they fought for the first time, on May 18, 2024, Fury suffered a ninth-round knockdown before succumbing to a split decision in Usyk’s favor. The second bout, on December 21, was a more decisive affair in which Usyk defeated him on the scorecards of all three judges. Barring a few like Fury’s promoter Frank Warren, hardly anyone retained any doubts over the verdict.

Regardless, boxing fans around the world will be tuning in to watch Fury take on Arslanbek Makhmudov in April. Will the comeback prove to be a masterstroke, or could it put his legacy on the line? Only time will tell.

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Why Usyk Emerges Is The Key To Dana White’s Heavyweight Title

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Oleksandr Usyk

Usyk Emerges As The Key To Dana White’s Heavyweight Title Debut

The heavyweight division does not need another belt. That much is obvious.

Zuffa Boxing, preparing to introduce its own championship at the sport’s flagship weight, will immediately raise the same question fans have asked for years: how many titles does one division need?

But this is not just about another strap entering circulation. It is about who might fight for it — and what that would mean for the power structure at the top.

Oleksandr Usyk pictured in New York at the Lopez vs Stevenson fight, seated ringside in casual attire during the event.

JUST IN: Tyson Fury explains why Anthony Joshua car crash was inspiration

The current landscape is already complicated. Unified champions sit alongside interim holders. Mandatories wait their turn while politics and broadcast alliances dictate timing. For most fans, clarity only exists on fight night.

Adding a Zuffa heavyweight belt risks stretching that picture further unless the right name is attached from the start.

Ajagba Is The Logical Front-Runner

Efe Ajagba stands in the Meta Apex ring after stopping Charles Martin
Efe Ajagba strengthened his case with a stoppage victory over former IBF champion Charles Martin at the UFC Apex. For a promotion, building its own internal ladder, Ajagba makes sense as the first contender.

He is active. He is improving. He carries real knockout power and now has a recognizable former titleholder under the Zuffa banner.

If the promotion moved forward with Ajagba as its number one challenger, few would question the matchmaking logic.

The issue is not credibility inside the Zuffa structure. It is credibility across the division.

The Usyk Factor Changes The Conversation
This is where the story shifts.

Oleksandr Usyk is currently between mandatory obligations. With Deontay Wilder stepping away from a WBC title path, Usyk has room to take a voluntary bout before facing Agit Kabayel.

That window matters and could be huge for Zuffa and Dana White.

If the former pound-for-pound king wanted to add another layer to his legacy, becoming Zuffa’s inaugural heavyweight champion would not be a sideshow. It would be a calculated move add further weight to a Hall of Fame career.

Usyk has already unified the heavyweight titles completely – twice – and reshaped the division’s hierarchy. Claiming the first Zuffa belt would not replace those achievements, but it would place him at the center of a new commercial structure before it fully forms.

From Zuffa’s side, the appeal is obvious. White launching his first major heavyweight championship event outside the Apex environment with Usyk involved would immediately elevate the belt beyond “startup” status.

Ajagba brings danger and familiarity for Zuffa fans. Usyk brings legitimacy and history.

Together, the belt gains instant relevance, but only if White, Zuffa, and TKO act fast.

Risk And Reward For Everyone
The downside of any White advances towards Usyk would be that the sanctioning bodies would guard their positions carefully.

A voluntary fight for a new promotional title could invite scrutiny depending on timing. Usyk would need to balance obligation with opportunity, especially with Kabayel positioned as the next significant step in his path.

Financially, Zuffa would have to present an offer strong enough to justify that calculation.

If Usyk is not involved, the introduction of another heavyweight championship will be viewed as further fragmentation. If he is involved, the narrative changes.

The belt would not feel like an addition to clutter. It would feel like a land grab at the right moment and would keep one sole champion in place across the board.

That’s the difference here.

The heavyweight division has always been defined by defining fights rather than organizational charts. If Zuffa can secure one of those fights immediately, the new belt becomes part of the story.

If it cannot, the confusion argument will only grow louder.

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Why Tyson Fury accuses Oleksandr Usyk of being a ‘cheat’

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Tyson Fury Oleksandr Usyk

TYSON FURY INTERVIEW: Gypsy King accuses Oleksandr Usyk of being a ‘cheat’ as he reveals his wife Paris stopped speaking to him after his ‘selfish’ decision to make FIFTH boxing comeback

Nobody in Tyson Fury‘s inner circle wanted him back in the ring and for a while, they made that perfectly clear by cutting him off.

‘My dad stopped speaking to me for a while. My brothers stopped speaking to me, even Paris. Everybody cut me off,’ Fury says of the fallout after he chose to end yet another retirement and fight again. ‘Nobody wanted me to return and they made that clear… but, it’s my decision and my life.’

The decision is now locked in. Fury will return to face heavy-handed contender Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11 at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, topping a major card promoted by The Ring Magazine.

Fury is adamant he didn't lose to Oleksandr Usyk and described the Ukrainian as a 'cheat'

READ: Gervonta Davis Avoids Another Arrest — But Jail Risk Lingers

But when Fury talks about why he’s back, the story begins not with belts or future opponents, but with conflict at home.

‘It’s my decision to make, it’s but probably a bit selfish,’ he says. ‘It’s just I’m at my happiest when I’m in that ring entertaining people and I have no plans to stop any time soon. I’ll probably keep fighting until I’m 50 I’d say.’

Retirement, with Fury, has always been a flexible concept. This is his fifth return. He speaks about fighting not as a career obligation but as a compulsion – something chosen, not required.

‘I’m back because I’ve chosen to be back. I ‘ve chosen boxing because I love boxing. I ain’t boxing because I’ve spent my money and I have to risk my health to make a quid. I get that people want me to move on with my life but it’s just one of those things I can’t.’

That idea, moving on, became a fault line in our conversation when we discussed his fiercest rivalries.

I put to Fury a specific scenario. We had sat down with a sports psychotherapist to analyse the explosive interview given by Deontay Wilder on talkSPORT, where he reacted angrily when challenged on the various explanations he has offered for his defeats to Fury.

The specialist’s view was clear: Wilder will never return to his previous level unless he fully accepts, internally, that he was beaten.

Acceptance, he argued, is the only way elite fighters psychologically reset after a loss.

I then asked Fury directly: by that same logic, has he come to terms with his own defeats to Oleksandr Usyk?

The response was immediate and incendiary.

‘He never beat me. He cheated. Man, he cheated. He had rockets up his ass. He cheated. I’ll never agree that he beat me. He’s a cheater and he’s pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes.’

When pressed on whether he genuinely believes Usyk cheated and what he meant by it, Fury did not retreat behind diplomacy.

‘A cheater? Yes. He cheated. He’s a total cheater. I don’t need a psychologist to help me get over those defeats as they weren’t defeats. I also don’t need a psychologist to tell me to leave it in 2024, I have worked that out myself.’

It is a total rejection not only of the official results but of the psychological premise behind the question.

Where the therapist’s model depends on acknowledgement and processing, Fury takes a very different route – reframing the results entirely and removing the need for any emotional reconciliation.

He insists the power remains in his hands anyway.

‘Mark these words, the rabbit will be begging the GK for a fight by the end of the year, begging on his knees.’

Fury offered no evidence to support the allegations, and no wrongdoing has been found against Usyk.

If Fury will not concede an inch on Usyk, he is just as firm when discussing Deontay Wilder. His view is that time, punishment and mileage – more than mindset alone – explain where Wilder now stands.

‘He’ll never get back to where he was, because I smashed him to pieces twice, literally took years off his life,’ Fury says.

‘And the fact that he’s 40 years old, the sun’s run out the bottle for him… He can never get back to where he was.

‘Look, it’s simple. He’s past his prime, it’s like his sell by date has expired. If you get the best steak ever, $1,000 for a steak. Leave it in the fridge for a week, and it goes off.

‘You ain’t gonna eat it. You’re never gonna get it back again. You can’t rejuvenate it unless there’s a youth serum that I don’t know about and that’s what’s happened to Wilder.’

In Fury’s telling, their trilogy – especially the third bout – was the decisive turning point.

‘Deontay Wilder was finished in 2021 after that terrible destruction I gave him in that third fight. That should have been curtains for him. But he spent all his money and made bad decisions so now he has to come back – fighting in his 40s and risking his health as well as everything else. So it’s a sad state to get in. But I hate to say it, but I told you so.’

For Fury, all of it – Usyk, Wilder, the critics, the retirement chatter – is secondary to one simple truth: he fights because he chooses to, on his own terms.

‘I’ve been through it all, I’ve seen it all, and I’m still standing,’ he says. ‘Records, belts, opinions… they don’t change what I do in that ring. I fight when I want, I fight how I want, and I fight for me. That’s it.’

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Deontay Wilder Breaks Down Why He Didn’t Face Usyk

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Deontay Wilder Oleksandr Usyk

Deontay Wilder says the long-discussed fight with Oleksandr Usyk did not fall apart at the negotiating table — it never lined up with the plan already in motion.

Wilder told Fight Hub TV the Usyk idea was real “at moments,” but as the buzz grew, there was still no confirmed date or venue to anchor the talks.

With no firm date or location on the table, Wilder turned his focus back to a fight that had been in the works far longer.

A WBN poster of Usyk vs Wilder in the backdrop of the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas

READ: “Tougher than all of them”: Deontay Wilder overlooks Tyson Fury as

Chisora Fight Was Already In Motion
Wilder explained that negotiations for a fight with Derek Chisora had been underway for months and were initially targeted for December before other circumstances delayed it.

“And me and Derek have been working on a fight for a very long time,” Wilder said. “Actually, this fight’s supposed to have happened back in December, you know what I mean, but due to other situations and stuff, it didn’t happen.”

By the time Usyk’s name entered serious discussion, Wilder said the Chisora agreement was already part of a wider plan he did not want to abandon.

Usyk Talks Lacked Structure
Wilder said Usyk mentioned the fight first, which sparked the wave of attention and conversations. But he also suggested the situation never came with the basics needed to move it forward quickly.

“He mentioned it first, he wanted to fight me,” Wilder said, describing how the talks gathered momentum. “But I don’t think they, you know, had a real set date, a place where they wanted to go, that still was lingering around. And you know, the clock goes like this, it’s tick tock.”

As reported exclusively last year, Shelly Finkel wanted Wilder in the ring by the end of 2025. At 40, Wilder stressed that waiting without direction was not an option.

“I can’t sit back, I can’t sit around,” Wilder said. “And of course, we have plans of what we want to do to get to the top.”

Timing Over Opportunity
Rather than framing the situation as a rejection, Wilder described it as timing and progression. He said his return path was already mapped out, and he wanted a step that fit what came next.

“The second fight is what’s going to be something a level a little bit different than my opponent, but a little bit more,” Wilder said. “And then the Derek Chisora (fight) came, which was the level all over because we need somebody like that.”

Wilder made it clear that the Usyk interest intensified while his own path had already been set. Without a firm framework in place, he was not prepared to let the clock run down.

The opportunity may return. For now, the division has moved on. In Wilder’s words, this time it was not about fear or money. It was about the lack of a plan — and the fact that he refused to sit still while it formed.

The immediate consequence is clear: the WBC title route has shifted, with President Mauricio Sulaiman stating Usyk must next face mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel.

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Why Oleksandr Usyk was handed world title ultimatum by WBC afte

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Oleksandr Usyk

Oleksandr Usyk handed world title ultimatum by WBC after request granted

We don’t know who Oleksandr Usyk is set to face next, but we do know who he will be ordered to box afterwards.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has confirmed that the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight champion must defend his belts against interim title holder Agit Kabayel following a voluntary defence.

Agit Kabayel with the WBC interim heavyweight title

READ: What really happened to Terence Crawford’s $15,000 bet on Shaku

Usyk hasn’t set foot in the ring since his five-round demolition job of Daniel Dubois in July to unify the division.

The Ukrainian didn’t retain his undisputed status for long, as he was stripped of his WBO belt within two months of winning it, after rejecting a mandatory defence against Fabio Wardley.

Usyk did so with the knowledge that he would be facing Deontay Wilder next.

The WBA, WBC and IBF all cleared the path for the bout to take place by granting Usyk a voluntary defence.

However, ‘The Bronze Bomber’ has elected to box Derek Chisora instead, leaving Usyk out in the cold.

Former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr and kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven have been floated around as potential dance partners for ‘The Cat’, while a long-awaited date with Kabayel looms.

“Kabayel was not available because he had a fight scheduled in January,” Sulaiman told Chris Mannix.

“So [Usyk] requested a voluntary title defence, which is very customary.

“He was given that opportunity, and he must fight the interim champion next. That’s the ruling.”

Kabayel picked up the interim WBC strap by chopping down Zhilei Zhang inside six rounds in February last year.

Usyk last fought in July when he dispatched Dubois

He subsequently defended his belt on January 10, blasting away Damian Knyba in front of a sold-out Rudolf Weber-Arena in Oberhausen, Germany.

Rather than sitting on the sidelines and waiting for his shot at a full world title, the fast-rising 33-year-old intends to remain active this year.

His promoter, Frank Warren, is eyeing another home fight for the German superstar in the Spring, with WBC No.1-rated contender Lawrence Okolie being floated around as a potential opponent.

“We had the balls to go there, do it and take that chance,” Warren told Ring Magazine.

“Going back a long time, there’s always been a lot of love for boxing in Germany, and they’ve got a hero.

“The arena sold out in just over a day. He’s fighting in May, and we’re going for a bigger venue next time.”

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Eight Fights to Another Undisputed Heavyweight Champion

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Oleksandr Usyk

The heavyweight division is edging toward another undisputed champion, not through a formal tournament, but through a set of fights that are already booked, already moving, or lining up next.

This is not fantasy matchmaking. The route is forming across the WBO, WBA, and WBC pathways, and if the pieces fall into place, a full unification could land in 2027.

The Fights Already Set The Route In Motion
Derek Chisora faces Deontay Wilder on April 4.

One week later, Tyson Fury returns against Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11.

Oleksandr Usyk appears at a boxing event ahead of the next phase of the heavyweight title picture

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Elsewhere, Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois for the WBO heavyweight title is in talks for the summer.

Those fights are separate on the surface. In reality, they start filtering the division into clear lanes toward the belts.

The WBA Funnel And The Next Challenger
In addition, the winner of Chisora vs Wilder has already been offered a shot at Murat Gassiev.

Gassiev has a mandatory obligation in Moses Itauma, but all parties have agreed to delay it, which opens the door for the Chisora-Wilder winner to face Gassiev next.

If that happens, the winner of Chisora, Wilder, and Gassiev would emerge as the sole WBA secondary champion.

From there, the route points straight at Oleksandr Usyk. That fighter would get the green light to face Usyk in his next mandatory after the Ukrainian satisfies his WBC obligation against Agit Kabayel.

Itauma still matters. His delayed mandatory status gives him a say in what happens next, which is why he remains a wildcard even with the agreement in place.

Usyk Keeps The Whole Picture Together
At the top, Usyk is the anchor holding the championship picture in one place.

Before any bigger unification can happen, he is expected to satisfy his next mandatory.

After that, the WBA route would be ready-made: the winner coming out of the Chisora-Wilder-Gassiev sequence would be next in line once the WBC requirement is cleared.

That is what makes this feel structured instead of chaotic. The contenders arrive through obligations, not shortcuts.

The WBO Side Runs Through Fury
Fury’s job is simple on paper and difficult in reality.

He must first beat Makhmudov. If he does, the winner of the proposed Wardley vs Dubois fight would sit directly in his path, establishing who controls the WBO route.

Once the WBO ruler is known, and once Usyk has worked through his WBC and WBA obligations, the division finally has a clean line toward a full undisputed encounter.

Where The Wildcards Fit
Itauma remains a wildcard because a delayed mandatory still carries leverage. Anthony Joshua is another.

Wardley has already stated he would be willing to face Joshua if the Fury fight does not happen.

Andy Ruiz Jr is the highest-ranked contender not currently involved. If injuries or pullouts hit any stage of the route, Ruiz is the type of name who could be slotted in quickly.

A Realistic Route To Undisputed In 2027
If Fury comes through his side and Usyk clears his obligations against the WBC and WBA challengers, the division narrows on its own.

At that point, undisputed would not be something forced together. It would be the logical meeting point of the routes that are already forming now.

Nothing here guarantees an undisputed champion. But the pathway is real, and finally visible.

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Deontay Wilder reveals why he chose Chisora over title fight with U

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Deontay Wilder

Deontay Wilder reveals why he chose Chisora over title fight with Usyk

Deontay Wilder has revealed why his mooted matchup with Oleksandr Usyk, for the unified world heavyweight crown, has been replaced by a non-title fight against Derek Chisora.

The former WBC champion was called out by Usyk towards the end of last year, with both parties entering negotiations for their showdown to take place in America.

Earlier this month, though, heavyweight veteran Chisora emerged as a rumoured opponent for ‘The Bronze Bomber’, who also happens to be gearing up for his 50th professional outing.

Deontay Wilder reveals why he chose Chisora over title fight with Usyk

READ: Anthony Joshua: Concerning New Details Emerge About Driver In

With 100 fights between them, it has now been confirmed that the pair will collide on April 4, headlining a Misfits Pro card in London.

Chisora comes off a string of points victories over Gerald Washington, Joe Joyce and Otto Wallin, which followed his punishing stoppage defeat to Tyson Fury in 2022.

At the age of 42, it is certainly fair to say that the Londoner has seen better days; but so too has Wilder, whose last contest saw him labour to a seventh-round finish over Tyrrell Herndon in June.

Prior to that, the 40-year-old had suffered back-to-back defeats to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang, with the two fights ending via a wide unanimous decision and fifth-round stoppage, respectively.

But now, Wilder has secured himself a more winnable fight than his scuppered assignment against Usyk, which, speaking with Daily Mail Boxing, he claims talks with the Ukrainian were simpy dragging on too long.

“When you’re in negotiations, sometimes things just take longer than [you expect].

“There was a lot going on – I don’t want to put words in nobody’s mouth, but the process was taking too long. We needed to get out and get a fight.

“I wouldn’t want to call it a warm-up fight – Derek’s no pushover, he’s coming to fight. I’m mentally, physically and emotionally prepared for that.”

With Usyk coming off a fifth-round stoppage victory over Daniel Dubois, and having expressed his desire to enter at least two more fights, it remains to be seen who he will now defend his WBC, IBF and WBA titles against.

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Turki Alalshikh wants to see Oleksandr Usyk face kickboxing legen

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Turki Alalshikh Oleksandr Usyk

Turki Alalshikh wants Oleksandr Usyk to face 1-0 boxer after Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder book bouts

It isn’t clear who Oleksandr Usyk will face next following some recent fight announcements.

Several names will be hoping to square off with The Ring’s #1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Tyson Fury returns on April 11 to face Arslanbek Makhmudov in a matchup that he’ll surely want to use as a step towards a trilogy with his former foe.

Photo by Gabriel Kuchta/Getty Images

JUST IN: Anthony Joshua: Concerning New Details Emerge About Driver In

Meanwhile, Deontay Wilder also booked a fight despite being linked with Usyk for some time, as he prepares to take on Derek Chisora on April 4.

With two of the heavyweight division’s top names already booked, Turki Alalshikh has suggested an alternative plan for the Ukrainian.

Turki Alalshikh wants to see Oleksandr Usyk face kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven

Last year, Rico Verhoeven vacated his GLORY Kickboxing heavyweight title following a remarkable reign that started all the way back in 2014.

Rico Verhoeven gets his hand raised after beating Artem Vakhitov at Glory 100

The ‘King of Kickboxing’ has since been linked with some big fights in different rulesets to the one that he has dominated for over a decade.

Verhoeven was even offered a UFC contract but talks of him potentially facing someone like Anthony Joshua seemingly put this option on the backburner for now.

While there are other names he could face, with Oleksandr Usyk being called out by Agit Kabayel following his win at the start of the year, none of them present marquee matchups for him to return to.

Verhoeven, who has a professional boxing record of 1-0 isn’t necessarily one either but the matchup would generate some interest due to its unique nature, and Turki Alalshikh supports the idea.

“I want to see him against Oleksandr Usyk,” Alalshikh wrote on X underneath a video of one of Verhoeven’s knockout wins in GLORY.

Oleksandr Usyk has been scheduled to face a former GLORY kickboxer in the past

A fight against Rico Verhoeven wouldn’t be the first time that Oleksandr Usyk has prepared to take on a fighter who has an extensive kickboxing record.

In 2019, the Ukrainian was booked to make his heavyweight debut in America against former GLORY and K-1 fighter Tyrone Spong.

Spong was 14-0 at the time but was pulled from the bout after testing positive for a banned substance and replaced by Chazz Witherspoon.

Spong hasn’t competed in boxing since then, though he’s fought in MMA and Karate Combat.

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“Let’s make it happen”: Oleksandr Usyk receives intriguing offer fro

By
Oleksandr Usyk

Oleksandr Usyk receives intriguing offer from Andy Ruiz Jr as talks continue over return fight

Andy Ruiz Jr wants to make a fight with Oleksandr Usyk happen this year.

Usyk is currently yet to confirm his next opponent, having initially vacated his WBO title in pursuit of a showdown with Deontay Wilder.

But it was confirmed to talkSPORT by Derek Chisora that he will instead face the ‘Bronze Bomber, with the bout expected to take place in April in London.

Ruiz is keen to challenge for the titles again years on from first claiming them with upset victory over Anthony Joshua

READ: Oleksandr Usyk Reveals The 2 Reasons He Wants To Fight Deontay Wilder

For now, the unified champion has been left out in the cold, and although Wilder still plans to challenge Usyk, he could well lose the risky bout and jeopardise a future meeting.

Therefore it is expected that ‘The Cat’ will consider his options in the meantime with a number of alternative options on the table.

Rumours have gathered pace in recent weeks that he could sign with Dana White and new promotion Zuffa Boxing with talks already being held.

And it was suggested that heavy-handed Andy Ruiz Jr could well be a potential opponent.

Now in a sign that the bout could well be on the table, the Mexican has taken to social media to make an offer to Usyk.

He shared a created picture of the pair facing off, as if the fight was already confirmed.

And he wrote the caption: “Let’s make it happen @usykaa.”

The fight could well be realistic, with rumours suggesting that any meeting could be held in July.

Would Ruiz Jr make a good opponent for Usyk?

Usyk would likely be an overwhelming favourite against Ruiz Jr, but the powerful Mexican has large commercial selling power.

The potential challenger hasn’t been as active as he would have liked in recent years, having fought just three times since his rematch defeat to Anthony Joshua in 2019.

In his last outing, Ruiz Jr broke his hand and faced a spell out of the ring after controversially drawing with Jarrell Miller in August 2024.

Now he has returned to training and is looking to get back into shape and put his name into the heavyweight mix.

Who else if not Ruiz Jr for Usyk?

Usyk is only looking for big-name fights in the twilight stages of his career, the reason he suggested he would not face Fabio Wardley who received his vacated title.

Sergey Lapin, his team director has suggested that leading ranked Agit Kabayel is a viable option.

“In today’s heavyweight top division, there are no ‘safe’ opponents; every top-level guy is a threat,” Lapin told talkSPORT Bet.

Usyk beat Dubois in his last outing in July 2025 and has limited time remaining in his career

“Kabayel is definitely a possible option.

“We see how Germany reacts to these fights, the stadiums they can fill, and how strong that market is.

“Stylistically, he can be tricky, too. Pressure, pace, physicality.

“It would be a big European fight with strong business potential.”

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How One Loss Could End It As Deontay Wilder Puts Usyk Title Sho

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Deontay Wilder Oleksandr Usyk

One Loss Could End It: Deontay Wilder Puts Usyk Title Shot on the Line 

Deontay Wilder has the kind of late-career opportunity most heavyweights never get twice. A 2026 showdown with Oleksandr Usyk is agreed, approved by the World Boxing Council, and built around the one scenario that still makes Wilder dangerous against an elite technician: the single, division-shifting punch.

Now he is prepared to put that entire pathway at risk.

The former WBC champion is willing to take a grudge match with Derek Chisora first, and the logic behind it has become increasingly hard to defend when measured against Wilder’s recent form, activity, and margin for error.

Derek Chisora V Deontay Wilder will allegedly be promoted by Wasserman Boxing if made official, and will potentially take place on April 4th 2026 at The O2 Arena in London U.K :

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The Usyk sell was simple: one punch, one night
The Usyk angle worked because it was clean and contained. Wilder’s power has always allowed him to exist outside conventional momentum provided by technically gifted boxers, and his most recent win gave fans a reason to buy into that one last time.

But the moment you turn that into a two-step plan—win one fight, then land the same kind of fight-changing shot again—the story stops being intriguing and starts becoming implausible.

Wilder has lost four of his last six fights, been knocked out in three of them, and all of it has unfolded inside a five-year window. That isn’t a brief stumble. It is a sustained slide that shrinks the likelihood of back-to-back chaos moments.

He hasn’t delivered consecutive decisive knockout performances in seven years, since 2019 against Dominic Breazeale and Luis Ortiz—arguably his most destructive year to date.

Expecting him to produce that kind of outcome in two straight fights at 40 is not a leap of faith. It is a triple-jump away from what his recent career has actually shown.

Why Chisora is the wrong kind of risk
Against Usyk, Wilder’s job description was obvious: survive, wait, and swing once. The entire build can be framed around that single chance.

Against Chisora, the same premise doesn’t hold. Chisora is not a stylistic chess match. He is a pressure heavyweight who makes fights physical, uncomfortable, and messy—exactly the kind of environment where a fading margin for error matters.

On form alone, Chisora can reasonably be viewed as the favorite. Wilder’s reduced output, fading explosiveness, and shorter late-fight window mean he is no longer operating with the same inevitability when rounds pile up.

Asking him to land two separate miracle shots in consecutive outings is a different proposition than asking him to score with one.

Location only sharpens the danger. If Wilder goes to London for what is expected to be Chisora’s 50th and final fight, he is stepping into a setting built to lift the home fighter.

If Wilder loses there, and that’s a real possibility here, the Usyk fight doesn’t merely get delayed—it disappears.

Boxing has already seen this movie
This is not uncharted territory. Heavyweight boxing just watched a massive event vanish when long-term plans were put ahead of immediate reality.

In 2023, the decision to pit Wilder and Anthony Joshua in separate fights ended in disaster. Wilder lost to Joseph Parker, wiping out the long-awaited rivalry bout in a single night.

The warning was clear: if the “big one” is truly there, you don’t gamble it on an unnecessary hurdle.

The stakes here are even higher because the Usyk fight has a clear commercial target. Usyk is looking for a major United States headliner, with Las Vegas the natural stage, and Wilder remains the kind of name that can help sell it.

That narrative has timing and global relevance. Chisora risks tearing it up for a fight that offers limited upside and enormous downside.

Let’s be honest: if Chisora wins and extends his career to a 51st bout, the Usyk opportunity is gone for Wilder, replaced by a scenario that offers sentiment but little sporting upside.

The difference between bold and reckless
This is not about avoiding danger. It is about choosing the right danger for Wilder.

The Usyk fight made sense precisely because it acknowledged Wilder’s reality while still leaving a window for something extraordinary.

Choosing Chisora asks Wilder to repeat the extraordinary twice in a row, at 40, after years of decline, in a hostile setting where a loss is entirely plausible.

If Wilder wants the Usyk moment, this is the kind of detour that can end it before it begins.

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