Deontay Wilder, once a fearsome heavyweight of modern times, is ready to roar his way back into the ring once again. The past few years have been unfortunate for The Bronze Bomber, which started with two back-to-back losses against Tyson Fury. He bounced back with a win over Robert Helenius in 2022. However, the success was short-lived as losses against Joseph Parker in 2023 and Zhilei Zhang in 2024 followed.

Everything seemed destined towards retirement for the last American world heavyweight champion. However, the 39-year-old dismissed all the rumors, indicating a return to the ring after recovering mentally and physically. And now, almost a year after his last fight, we have a fixture.

Wilder will make his comeback against 37-year-old Tyrrell Anthony Herndon at Charles Koch Arena, Wichita on June 27—more than 365 days since his last fight. However, this time, he is determined to climb up the heavyweight ladder in a last stand. Despite what his recent record suggests, the former WBC heavyweight champion wants his throne back.

Deontay Wilder appeared in a recent episode of The Ariel Helwani Show to talk about his upcoming return. Talking about his future in the division, the Alabama native said, “The mission is still to unify the division,” stating his lofty ambition. He accepts that even though there is a lot of work remaining, his physical and mental health is better than all these years. “I’m still young and healthy. I am pursuing becoming a unified champion,” he declared.

He further added that he is grateful that despite being a veteran now, “it feels good to be in this position. To be successful at what I’ve done and been able to build how I’ve build outside of the ring.” 

Deontay Wilder is excited about his return and has big plans for 2025, including a fight against another heavyweight.

Deontay Wilder wants The Predator

During an interview with 78SPORTSTV, Wilder revealed that he is ready to climb back to the top and has a three-fight plan for 2025. One of the fights he is targeting is against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. 

The Predator’s venture into boxing so far has been a disappointment. However, he still is a force to reckon with and we might even see this fight in an octagon. “I don’t know how much I can say, but I’ll say this. Me and Francis, this fight always comes up. It just came up two more times, not too long ago, to be exact. Not too far away, maybe a few months ago. We’re just trying to figure out how we want the segment to go, me and Ngannou. I’m definitely interested and he is as well,” he revealed to Helwani.

Deontay Wilder promised fans that they will get an update regarding the fight pretty soon. And even though he can’t reveal much, “I’m looking forward to that one. Stay tuned,” he declared. Well, the Francis Ngannou fight is a talk for a different day. At this time, Deontay Wilder should only focus on his comeback fight. Getting a win under his belt is extremely important for his confidence and future plans. Because if he fails, a return to the ring might be a difficult prospect.

Do you think Deontay Wilder can climb back to the top of the heavyweight division? Let us know your thoughts down below.