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“Wilder is one of the best names Oleksandr has yet to face,” Egis Klimas told Natonal. “He’s still in shape, and he’s still a fighter, so he’s interesting. Plus, it’s the United States.”
Klimas’ comment about “top names” unfortunately doesn’t mean “top fighters.” Deontay, 40, has long ceased to be considered one of the best fighters in the heavyweight division. Former WBC champion Wilder is 2-4 in his last six fights and hasn’t beaten a top fighter in many years.
Holding the fight in the United States makes sense for Usyk, as it’s probably the only place it would draw a crowd. It’s unclear whether Turki Alalshikh would be interested in financing a fight of this type, given Wilder’s performance in his two fights in Riyadh, losing to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang in resounding fashion. These are in no way competitive.
What’s more troubling is Deontay’s lack of effort in both fights. He simply moved around the ring against Parker, making no effort to engage. In Wilder’s fifth-round knockout loss to Zhang in June 2024, he launched a half-hearted charge in the fifth round. Zhang immediately flattened it.
Wilder gives Usyk a recognizable but unthreatening name. The booming right hand that “The Bronze Bomber” once possessed is gone. He rarely throws it, perhaps because of too many bad experiences of being cut.
Usyk has already beaten Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois twice. He now has the obligation to lead a risky fight.
Wilder no longer has leverage to negotiate with Usyk. He is still well known to Americans, but he is no longer popular enough to use it to his advantage to negotiate favorable terms.
