Deontay Wilder has promised a comeback to boxing after one victory in five years but has struggled to nail down an opponent.
In a harsh reality, Wilder has only one real option to make serious money as ‘The Bronze Bomber’ eyes redemption after back-to-back defeats. Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang ended Wilder’s hopes of finally landing Anthony Joshua, leaving one of his British rivals as the final payday.
Wilder is linked to facing Francis Ngannou, the MMA star Joshua blasted out in two painful rounds. Following Ngannou’s own return to the win column in the octagon, the ex-UFC champion can bring a money-spinning deal to Wilder’s table.
Other than Ngannou, Wilder has few to no other options to make a significant paycheck. Wilder must go back down the ladder for a cannon fodder victim if he chooses boxing. Fighting Ngannou in an exhibition, if a network takes the event, would represent a mutually beneficial deal.
A win for Wilder against Ngannou gives the American some bargaining tools to face the likes of Oleksandr Usyk or Joshua in the future. Meanwhile, even if Ngannou loses again, his place at the top table in MMA would be untouched.
Speaking to TMZ recently, Wilder confirmed Ngannou is part of his plans.
“Since I have been off, there have been a lot of offers coming in from different countries, even from Francis,” Wilder told TMZ. He then turned to the camera and offered a message to Ngannou about the tragic loss of his son, Kobe.
“What up, brother? I hope everything is going good for you. I’m sorry for your loss. I can only imagine what it’s like to lose a child. I never hope to feel that feeling of it, but I hope life is going beautifully for you, bro.
“Yeah, that’s a conversation. I am still looking to get in the mix and talk about it.”
Asked if he believes it’s a competitive fight, Wilder responded, “Any fight is competitive if you have a man with two hands and two feet who has a heart and a will to win.
“You have competition. You have a fight on your hands. That’s why when you get in the ring, you respect every man who steps in there. You never know what dog he may bring to the fight.”
Without Ngannou, it’s hard to see where Deontay Wilder goes from here. ity/