James ReganApr 4, 2026, 07:45 PM ET
Deontay Wilder declared in the dizzying aftermath of his win over Derek Chisora that he was back and ready to fight for world titles.
While the result was gritty and much-needed, with Wilder edging a split decision victory, it wasn't the vintage Bronze Bomber performance he was looking for, albeit against a very tough, durable and spirited opponent in Chisora.
The American won on points for just the second time in his career at O2 Arena in London on Saturday and suffered a suspected broken right hand early in the fight that would have limited his power, but it was an important result.
"I'm a king and I showed that tonight," Wilder said in the ring.
"The punches are absorbed and I came back. It's all about having fun. I had to heal. It took a long time for me to heal, but I'm back. And I'm going to get better and better each and every time."
He didn't get the devastating finish he predicted, but the victory does put Wilder in the mix for big fights again -- even if they aren't for world honors just yet.
They don't have to be.
There was a potential opponent who makes sense ringside in Anthony Joshua.
Wilder walked past Joshua on his way back to the dressing room after the fight, telling him "Let's do it."
The Brit is back training alongside Oleksandr Usyk and made his first public appearance in the U.K. since the crash he was involved in on New Year's Eve, which killed two of his close friends.
Joshua and Wilder had been linked to fight over six years ago when they were both in their prime, but a deal was never done. They signed in December 2023, but those plans were scratched when Wilder lost to Joseph Parker.
Now, as they both look to close their careers in style with big fights, a battle between them would still attract huge interest and there should be no more waiting.
Wilder has huge star power in the U.K. and a fight against Joshua would sell out an outdoor stadium. It's also time to accept both of them are way off the belts at the moment, purely because others have earned the right to fight for them.
Wilder-Joshua is a fight the fans deserve and still presents plenty of intriguing questions.
How would Joshua handle Wilder's power given what we saw in his defeat against Daniel Dubois? Could Wilder cope with a fully fit Joshua walking him down. What will Joshua pick up while training with Usyk and how could that change things?
It's a high-risk fight for both, probably more so for Joshua given his time out the ring, and the potential of a Tyson Fury fight later down the track. The biggest fight in the division is still Fury-Joshua, with cautious optimism that it will finally be made.
Fury's promoter, Eddie Hearn, has said they would likely want a fight before then, leaving the door open for Wilder.
Why not? In an era where we are starting to get the fights we want, Wilder-Joshua arguably makes more sense now more than ever.
