It’s been seven months since Deontay Wilder last stepped inside the boxing ring. The Bronze Bomber took on Robert Helenious in his last fight where he annihilated the latter in the first round of the bout. Thereafter the former WBC heavyweight champion was rumored to fight against Andy Ruiz. However, there is no official announcement of the matchup as of now.
Considering a potential Anthony Joshua clash in December in Saudi Arabia and the huge payment it could bring, it’s unclear if Wilder will choose to sit out or stay active risking damage.
What did Malik Scott announce about Deontay Wilder’s next fight?
For the last few weeks, the rumors of a Deontay Wilder vs Andy Ruiz fight died down because of the upcoming four-man heavyweight tournament that will take place in Saudi Arabia in December. However, in a recent interview, Malik Scott revealed that Wilder’s team is in talks with Andy Ruiz for a possible bout in September.
Despite this news, Anthony Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn claimed that there is no chance of that fight happening next if Wilder is competing in the four-man tournament. Although Scott is confident that this matchup will take place.
‼️ Deontay Wilder’s trainer Malik Scott has declared that they’ve now sent an official offer to Andy Ruiz to fight next: “The ball is in your court now, let’s get it signed and sealed.” pic.twitter.com/Vi6TGimnW5
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) June 24, 2023
He has even revealed that they have made an offer to Ruiz and it is up to the Mexican heavyweight boxer to sign the paper and make the fight official. “The ball is in your court now, let’s get it signed and sealed.”
Considering Andy Ruiz will not feature in the tournament, he will most likely accept this offer. Because the Mexican boxer does not have a lot of options after reportedly rejecting Tyson Fury’s offer for a larger sum of money.
Will Deontay Wilder participate in the heavyweight tournament in Saudi Arabia?
Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua have reportedly signed with Skills Challenge and they will compete in the four-man heavyweight tournament that is expected to take place in December in Saudi Arabia. So far, there is no update on whether Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder have confirmed their availability for the tournament.
As per Malik Scott, Deontay Wilder wants to avenge his loss to Tyson Fury and also has his eyes on a super fight against Anthony Joshua. Therefore there is a high chance that he will be fighting at the tournament. According to reports, the draw of the tournament will be a semi-final bout between Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua.
The second semis matchup will be Oleksandr Uysk vs Tyson Fury for the undisputed title. The only problem with Deontay’s participation will be if he prioritizes his bout against Andy Ruiz. Because Skills Challenge probably won’t be comfortable with allowing The Bronze Bomber to fight only two months before the tournament as there is a chance that he might suffer injuries.
