EXCLUSIVE: Deontay Wilder positions for a huge fight in 2026
Deontay Wilder’s manager, Shelly Finkel, updated WBN on what the former WBC heavyweight champion plans to do following the restart of his career.
Wilder defeated Tyrrell Herndon in June at the Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas, stopping the rot of two straight defeats.
With losses against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang firmly in the rear-view mirror, ‘The Bronze Bomber’ is sticking to an agreed blueprint that opens the door for a massive encounter in the coming year.
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Wilder’s Comeback Plan
Finkel confirmed that the 39-year-old is targeting a blockbuster showdown with either Anthony Joshua or Oleksandr Usyk, but only after one more fight this year. Wilder is already plotting his next move in a bid to climb back into the title mix.
“The plan is for Deontay to have another fight before the end of this year,” Finkel exclusively told World Boxing News. “After that, we will be looking for a big fight in 2026.”
Pressed on what “big fight” meant, Finkel didn’t hesitate, saying, “We’d be looking at a fight with Anthony Joshua or Usyk, something like that,” he said.
While the hard-hitting ex-world titleholder holds links to several names since returning to the win column, including Jarrell Miller in September, Finkel refused to get drawn into confirming or denying the speculation.
The New Yorker wouldn’t entertain reports that Wilder spurned the chance to face Miller as part of Canelo vs Crawford fight week.
A Big Fight in 2026
Wilder’s destructive win over Herndon, his first victory in over three years, has breathed fresh life into his career, with the Alabama puncher now seeking to end his storied run on a high.
If Finkel’s two-fight game plan holds, Wilder’s next fight will serve as a tune-up for a final push toward one of the sport’s most lucrative heavyweight clashes, against either British superstar Joshua or undisputed ruler Usyk.
Both potential opponents are on separate paths at present, but with the heavyweight landscape constantly shifting, Wilder’s name is once again firmly back in the conversation for the division’s biggest nights.
WBN expects a minor step-up from Herndon before a much sterner test comes into play for the knockout artist in the spring or summer of 2026.
