Deontay Wilder may be on the verge of a surprise world title challenge, but the former WBC champion has named one former ruler whom he believes that nobody could beat when at his best.
Wilder made 10 defences of the WBC heavyweight world title after winning the belt in 2015, with all of his wins as a champion coming by way of knockout.
However, his reign was brought to an end by Tyson Fury in 2020, in a defeat which begun his current run of just two triumphs in his last six fights.
Still, despite just one victory since 2022, the 40-year-old seems poised to challenge Oleksandr Usyk for the unified heavyweight world titles next year, as the Tuscaloosa-born knockout artist seeks to become a two-time heavyweight champion.
Speaking with Daily Mail Sport, Wilder reflected on the champions of old ahead of his apparent bid to return to the throne, where he declared his belief that Muhammad Ali could not be beaten, when discussing a host of fantasy fights involving former heavyweight conquerors.
“Oh, Ali [would beat Usyk]! Ain’t nobody beating Ali. I’m sorry, that is my guy!”
It has now been confirmed that the WBC will permit Usyk a voluntary defence of their title and thus allow the Ukrainian to take on Wilder, who is currently ranked at #13 by the sanctioning body.
Although, it is unclear whether Usyk intends to keep his other belts, with the WBA expected to order a rematch between he and Murat Gassiev in the near future, following the Russian’s victory over Kubrat Pulev last Friday.
