Former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder will reportedly return to the boxing ring in June.
The “Bronze Bomber” remains one of the most sought-after boxers today. But Deontay Wilder had a better year. Since losing his WBC heavyweight title to Tyson Fury in early 2020, the American has struggled to get back on track. Then in 2021 he lost by KO in the 11th round in a three-part battle with the 'Gypsy King'.
However, Deontay Wilder has since bounced back with a win over Robert Helenius in late 2022. The win was a big one for the former champion, setting him up for a much-anticipated grudge match against Anthony Joshua. All Wilder had to do was defeat Joseph Parker last December and face 'AJ' in March.
Instead, Deontay Wilder was almost dominated by the Australian in Saudi Arabia last year. As a result, the former champion lost to PFL heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou in his fight with Joshua. “The Predator” was crushed by the British boxer in his second boxing match, losing by knockout.
After Deontay Wilder lost his big payday against 'A.J.', some thought he might retire. The former champion is rapidly approaching his 40s and has lost three of his last four fights. But anyone who expected the “Bronze Bomber” to quit boxing so easily was wrong. According to recent reports, Mike Coppinger at ESPN ringsidehe will return in June.
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Deontay Wilder set to return to boxing ring in Saudi Arabia on June 1st
It is reported that Deontay Wilder will travel to Saudi Arabia on June 1st to face Zhang Jirayi. For those who remember, the two were linked to a possible fight on the Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou undercard card. Instead, the Chinese boxer ended up meeting the aforementioned Joseph Parker.
'Big Bang' went into the match as heavy favorites, but once again the Australians achieved an upset victory. Deontay Wilder and Ji-Ray Zhang both have losses to Parker, so it makes a lot of sense to put them together. However, Chinese heavyweights have recently had much greater success in the boxing ring.
The two heavyweight contenders are expected to meet on the undercard of Dmitri Bivol vs. Artur Beterbiev. This light heavyweight clash will unify all gold medals at 175 pounds and is considered one of the biggest boxing matches of 2024. Now they have the perfect co-main in Deontay Wilder vs. Ji-Ray Chan.
It's worth noting that June 1st is expected to be one of the busiest days in martial arts. In addition to the boxing event in Saudi Arabia, UFC 302 and Jorge Masvidal vs. Nate Diaz 2 are also scheduled to take place on the same night.
What do you think about this boxing news? Who's in this heavyweight showdown? Deontay Wilder or Jirayi Chan?
