Wilder Eyes 2026 Fights with Usyk, Gassiev, Joshua

Deontay Wilder, the former WBC heavyweight champion known for his devastating knockout power, is positioning himself for potential blockbuster fights in 2026, including a showdown with unified titleholder Oleksandr Usyk and a matchup against newly crowned WBA regular champion Murat Gassiev.

Wilder, now 40 years old with a professional record of 44 wins, four losses, and one draw across 49 bouts, has endured a challenging stretch in recent years. He once dominated the heavyweight division, securing 10 successful defenses of his WBC belt from 2015 to 2020, highlighted by knockout victories over Luis Ortiz and Bermane Stiverne. His undefeated streak of 40 knockouts ended in a controversial draw against Tyson Fury in 2018, followed by two dramatic losses to Fury in their trilogy, the latter a seventh-round stoppage in 2021. Subsequent defeats came via unanimous decision to Joseph Parker in 2023 and a fifth-round knockout against Zhilei Zhang in 2024, raising questions about his future in the sport.

However, Wilder rebounded decisively in June 2025 with a first-round knockout of little-known contender Tyrrell Herndon in Wichita, Kansas, marking his first victory in three years. The...