DEONTAY WILDER will return to the ring later this year after publicly shutting down talk of retirement.
The former WBC heavyweight champion’s fighting future was up in the air after his brutal 11th-round TKO loss to Tyson Fury last October.
And he’s hellbent on reclaiming the WBC heavyweight title
But the Alabama slammer recently told his hometown fans at his statue unveiling: “I can’t stop right now.
“I must continue with my journey. love you guys so much. I can’t end it like this. This journey’s not over with. I must continue my journey.”
Wilder’s decision to keep fighting paves the way for some exciting match-ups in the stacked heavyweight division.
So with that in mind, SunSport thought it’d only be right to run through potential opponents for The Bronze Bomber’s return.
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Andy Ruiz Jr
Like Wilder, former unified heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr is looking to get back into world title contention.
The Mexican is currently slated to face elder statesman of the division Luis Ortiz in August.
But should he get through King Kong, a clash of former heavyweight champions would make sense.
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Derek Chisora
Should Wilder want to dive straight back into a gunfight, he should look no further than British banger Derek Chisora.
Del Boy is always up for a fan-friendly firefight – and that’s exactly what a showdown with Wilder would be.
Two heavy punchers who love to go forward – what’s not to love about the fight?
Derek Chisora could be a potential opponent for Wilder’s comeback fight
Robert Helenius
If former long-reigning champion Wilder wants a fight against someone who has had a similar lay-off to himself, a showdown with Finnish giant Robert Helenius makes sense.
Helenius was last in action on the undercard of Wilder’s ill-fated trilogy fight with Fury – stopping Adam Kownacki in the sixth round.
The Nordic Nightmare’s lack of footwork would favour the heavy-handed Wilder, who has struggled to deal with fleetfooted opponents in the past.
Dillian Whyte
A showdown several years in the making, Wilder vs Whyte would be the perfect – and arguably the most winnable fight – for the pair’s respective returns.
Brixton banger Dillian Whyte became the mandatory challenger for the WBC strap in November 2017 but never managed to get his hands on the American.
Given the pair’s respective styles, a long-overdue showdown would provide nothing but fireworks.
And with both men having lost to Fury in their last outings, it makes sense for the heavy hitters to finally settle their score now more than ever.
Anthony Joshua
The biggest fight out there for Wilder is undoubtedly a grudge match with former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
The pair’s rivalry dates all the way back to 2017 and is still one of the most-talked-about in the division – despite the fact they’ve never fought.
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But they could very well come face-to-face in the near future if AJ loses his high-stakes summer showdown with Oleksandr Usyk.
The match-up would be the perfect springboard for both men’s title aspirations and would sell out any arena in the world in a heartbeat.
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