Deontay Wilder could soon find himself involved in an unexpected world title fight, possibly against an unbeaten heavyweight whose last six outings have ended inside the distance.
‘The Bronze Bomber’ returned to action against fellow veteran Derek Chisora in April, edging a 12-round split decision after scoring two knockdowns.
At this stage in his career, however, it is difficult to see the 40-year-old succeeding at the top level, especially when considering his two one-sided defeats against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang.
The first came in 2023, when Parker claimed a wide unanimous decision victory, before Wilder suffered a fifth-round stoppage loss to Zhang in 2024.
Both performances offered the impression that his days at world level are in the past, yet the American nonetheless boasts a No.7 ranking with the WBC.
As a result, he could potentially end up facing Agit Kabayel, the WBC ‘interim’ champion, for the full heavyweight title later this year.
This would only become realistic if Oleksandr Usyk vacates his WBC title and Kabayel, in turn, is elevated to full champion.
The German contender has already highlighted this as a genuine possibility, though, telling talkSPORT that he would gladly face Wilder on home soil.
“Let’s do it in Germany – Deontay Wilder vs Kabayel.”
If the WBC title becomes vacant, Wilder could be ordered to face Kabayel on account of the contenders ranked above him, such as Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, being busy with other opportunities.
Regardless of the opponent, though, Kabayel’s mandatory order against current champion Usyk must first play out, with the German believing the Ukrainian will opt to vacate rather than face him.
