Oleksandr Usyk vs. Deontay Wilder - Who wins?

[skanksta]

21` people think Deontay wins ?

He's got a puncher's chance against anyone in history of course, but really ?
Usyk is a master-boxer and Wilder is easily outboxed. Don't get hit and he wins on the bridle.

Either way I hope we see both of them back in the ring soon...

[tiny_acres]

21` people think Deontay wins ?

He's got a puncher's chance against anyone in history of course, but really ?
Usyk is a master-boxer and Wilder is easily outboxed. Don't get hit and he wins on the bridle.

Either way I hope we see both of them back in the ring soon...

Huge fan of Wilders. I enjoy the fact that anything can happen with his lack of skill but deadly power.
Even as a fan I can only give Wilder a 10% chance of puling off the knockout victory.
Usyks too smart for Bomb squad

[Ruthless-RKO]

Deontay Wilder and Oleksandr Usyk were one fight away from facing each other at 2008 Olympics, but both lost to the same man – now they may finally meet for the heavyweight world titles

At one point, Deontay Wilder and Oleksandr Usyk were just a single fight away from meeting in a showdown at the Olympics.

The pair stand today as two of the best heavyweights in the world and would make millions if they were to square off.

However, back in their amateur days the pair almost did it without mega money at stake.

Wilder started boxing relatively late at age 20 and showed impressive progression as he quickly rose through the ranks to claim a place on the USA Olympic team.

He was 22 years old when he represented his country at the 2008 games.

For Usyk, who entered boxing at 15, development within the Ukraine national setup saw him make serious strides.

When he headed to Beijing for the Olympics, he was just 21.

Though they are both heavyweights today, Wilder and Usyk were of course naturally less bulky as youngsters.

Confusingly though, the amateur boxing system is not aligned with the professionals and so the professional ‘cruiserweight’ division is known as ‘heavyweight’ in the amateurs.

Meanwhile the professional ‘heavyweight’ division is known as ‘super-heavyweight’ in the amateurs.

At Beijing 2008, Wilder and Usyk were both in the amateur ‘heavyweight’ division and emerged on the same side of the draw, putting them on a collision course.

A potential semi-final showdown with medals at stake awaited.

In the round-of-16, Wilder got off to a victorious start by outpointing Algeria’s Abdelaziz Toulbini.

Usyk followed up by beating China’s Yushan Nijiati.

This put them both into the quarter-finals.

Wilder fulfilled his part of the bargain and overcame Morocco’s Mohamed Arjaoui, then attention turned to Usyk who fought in the very next bout.

If he’d have beaten Italy’s Clemente Russo, he would have faced Wilder next, but sadly it was not to be.

The more experienced Italian, and reigning world champion, got the better of Usyk and sent him home from the competition.

In the semi-final, Russo marched on once more as he bested Wilder, who took home a bronze medal.

Following this result, the Bronze Bomber chose his famous nickname and turned professional.

Usyk meanwhile opted to stay as an amateur and headed into another Olympic cycle.

Four years later, he earned the ultimate redemption at London 2012 by beating Russo in the final to win gold.

Fast forward a decade to 2022, and Usyk is now the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight world champion as a professional.

He has made it clear that his first priority is to fight for the undisputed titles against WBC champion Tyson Fury, but should this fail to come to fruition then the Ukrainian has named Wilder as the man he would target.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Wilder has said he will look at this bout.

Why not .. 3 belts and the Ring..

Why fight Ruiz in a WBC final eliminator when he can go straight into a world title shot..

He can still fall back on a Ruiz PPV down the line..

[snake33]

Usyk can't KO Wilder so he would need to get a decision.
No doubt Usyk can out point Wilder. Wilder ain't a points kinda guy.
So, if Usyk can avoid getting caught for 12 rounds...............

Only one guy has gotten up from a Wilder right.

[margaret thatcher]

Usyk can't KO Wilder so he would need to get a decision.
No doubt Usyk can out point Wilder. Wilder ain't a points kinda guy.
So, if Usyk can avoid getting caught for 12 rounds...............

Only one guy has gotten up from a Wilder right.

actually many guys have gotten up from a wilder right hand and some guys were never even down

[ironbeard]

Usyk can't KO Wilder.

False.

[DrDuke]

Usyk can stop Wilder for sure, but he's more likely not to take a risk, instead to secure a dec.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Looks like this could be happening..

[Sendo Takeshi]

Looks like this could be happening..

Just seen the Video. Could be joking though.
You never now with the very feel prankster.

[Contendeh]

The only way this fight makes any kind of sense is if Usyk fights 3-4 times this year mixing up walk overs with top tier level opponents like 70s Ali style.

[tigermoth87]

What a pointless fight. Wilder is finished, so this does nothing for Usyk's legacy other than being a massive, unwarranted risk because as shit as Wilder is now, he does stil lhave incredible KO power. Plus, how does Wilder deserve a title shot?. He's lost four of his last six.

He'd be better off beating Fabio Fraudley and taking his 0.

[gregregegg]

I dont hate it. wilder is a legit name, ex champ but a long reining ex champ and he does at least always have a punchers chance... Usyk has gone AJ, AJ, DDD, Fury, Fury, DDD... as far as i am concerned he can fight who he wants... The only disapointment in this for me is, It kills AJ vs wilder which i still think is a worth while fight...

Another controversial opinion... id love wardly vs wilder.... You can say wilder is cooked, but wardly wilder is a live fight. Does wilder deserve a title shot?...no, would wardly vs wilder be a fun voulantary? yes.

Wilder vs nearly anyone is still fornicating fun. Wilder vs whyte, wilder vs chisora, wilder vs joyce, wilder vs wardly, wilder vs AJ, wilder vs moses, wilder vs torrez, wilder vs ruiz, wilder vs usyk, wilder vs jai, wilder vs beterbieve, wilder vs klit out of retirement, ,...... the list goes on. I am a borderline wilder hater, but every one of the above fights i would love to see... Is the usyk one the silliest? yes, but im such a usyk fan that id excuse him trying to tick off a name rather than an up and commer.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Oleksandr Usyk and Deontay Wilder mutually interested in fighting

The next era of heavyweights may be eyeing Oleksandr Usyk, but the champion is considering Deontay Wilder – whose bigger name can’t hide the fact that his best days are clearly behind him.

And Wilder’s team is also interested.

“This is world champion guy. This is very famous guy. This is strong guy,” Usyk said of Wilder in an interview with Boxing King Media during the WBC convention in Bangkok, Thailand. “He is one of the great heavyweight[s of the] last 10 years.”

Usyk, 24-0 (15 KOs), has already defeated Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, the other two heavyweights who ruled the division alongside Wilder during the post-Wladimir Klitschko era.

In fact, Usyk has two victories apiece over the “Gypsy King” and “AJ.” He defeated Joshua by unanimous decision to win the IBF, WBA and WBO belts in 2021, then defended them with a split decision over Joshua in their 2022 rematch. Usyk edged Fury by thrilling split decision to add the WBC title and become undisputed champion in May 2024 and triumphed unanimously in their sequel last December.

Because of sanctioning body obligations, Usyk vacated the IBF belt between the Fury fights and then regained it in another rematch, knocking out Daniel Dubois in the fifth round this past July. His second undisputed reign didn’t last long; Usyk has since parted ways with the WBO belt, which now belongs to Fabio Wardley.

Wardley isn’t the only one striving to become the new king. Another leading challenger to the throne is Agit Kabayel (the interim WBC titleholder), and prospects such as Moses Itauma also have lofty future aspirations.

But Usyk, who turns 39 in January, is seemingly selective when it comes to whatever amount of time he has left in a Hall of Fame career that also saw him become the undisputed cruiserweight champion.

Wilder, who recently turned 40, is 44-4-1 (43 KOs) and nearly six years removed from his time as a heavyweight titleholder. Wilder’s five-year run with the WBC belt concluded in February 2020 when he lost his second fight with Fury, put away in a damaging seventh-round technical knockout.

He’s gone just 2-3 since. Wilder fought valiantly in a war with Fury in their third fight in October 2021, trading knockdowns and heavy blows before succumbing in the 11th round. Wilder took a year off to recover, returning with a one-round win over Robert Helenius in October 2022. He didn’t fight again for another 14 months, was outboxed and hurt in a decision loss to Joseph Parker in December 2023 and then suffered a highlight-reel KO at the hands of Zhilei Zhang in June 2024.

Another lengthy layoff followed. After nearly 13 months away, Wilder came back on June 27 and defeated the 24-5 Tyrrell Anthony Herndon via seventh-round TKO.

Those watching his performance were left to wonder whether Wilder was shaking off rust against Herndon or if the passage of time and the accumulation of punishment have taken their toll.

Wilder and his team are choosing to fight on, however.

"We have plans for next year, and we’d like Oleksandr Usyk to be part of them,” Wilder’s co-manager, Shelly Finkel, told Sky Sports. “If we receive the right offer, we would be open to that fight.”

[Cyclops]

I thought he was just having fun when he said it but whatever, Usyk isn't getting any younger and fighting your Furys, Joshuas and Dubois, as ordinary as he made them look, would be tough on any fighter let alone a much smaller guy who has already been through murderers row in the division below. He loves to fight, and doesn't want to stop, but I expect it's only going to get harder for him to put himself in against the younger guys.

Parker is from the old guard: he can be outboxed and eventually worn down. Wardley is a nutter who doesn't stop coming and would be a gruelling fight. I can see why Usyk is struggling to find the motivation to put himself through that.

Let him have his 'easy' fight with Wilder: the other heavyweight contenders need to keep battling it out to produce the next rightful challenger.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[2128778]

I think, that the last time Usyk-Wilder fight would've been worth a damn is as if it would've happened right after Wilder KO'd Helenius. It was even discussed back then and, if I recall, Usyk attended (or attempted to attend) that fight at Barclays Center.

However, after Wilder's losses to Parker and Zhang, it makes zero sense.

I still think that Usyk could've been joking (in Usyk's style) with this Wilder answer.

[joshj909]

Weird that they still haven't announced the fight that's supposedly scheduled for January "somewhere abroad"

[keithmoonhangover]

is there someone you wouldnt pick wilder to beat - i know you picked him to ko fury 3 times too

Yes. He was about 3-4 seconds away from Wilder KOing Fury twice. The 1st especially. But anyway, I'm at peace with that.

KO of Usyk? 50-50.

I was within 30 second of chatting up Naomi campbell - that didn't happen either.

That's why she's always talking about you when she's round mine.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Yes. He was about 3-4 seconds away from Wilder KOing Fury twice. The 1st especially. But anyway, I'm at peace with that.

KO of Usyk? 50-50.

I was within 30 second of chatting up Naomi campbell - that didn't happen either.

That's why she's always talking about you when she's round mine.

Badoom-tish.

[Syntax Error]

Sounds like Usyk is trying to recreate Joe Louis's Bum of the Month tour.

Wilder is now more washed up than Andy Ruiz's favourite plate!

[Bobbyptsd]

Usyk will stop Wilder sometime in the middle rounds. Wilder does have the right hand but he always threw it from last week and I can't really see Usyk getting caught by it even against a prime Wilder, never mind now. He doesn't have any kind of real chance, complete mismatch. I would have Usyk quite high on my all time pfp list and at this point he's basically had his career, nothing can really change that. But this isn't very meaningful.

[gilgamesh]

Usyk will stop Wilder sometime in the middle rounds. Wilder does have the right hand but he always threw it from last week and I can't really see Usyk getting caught by it even against a prime Wilder, never mind now. He doesn't have any kind of real chance, complete mismatch. I would have Usyk quite high on my all time pfp list and at this point he's basically had his career, nothing can really change that. But this isn't very meaningful.

It's one of them fights that will seem more meaningful when looking at his record than it seemed when it actually took place in the ring.

Wilder is a nice name to have on your ledger still, and would still have to be one of the more recognizable Heavyweight names out there to many people.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Deontay Wilder enters talks with heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk over shock fight next year

Deontay Wilder has confirmed to talkSPORT that negotiations are underway for a stunning clash with Oleksandr Usyk.

Usyk became undisputed champion again after beating Daniel Dubois in July, but decided to vacate his WBO title after being ordered to face Fabio Wardley.

As a result, it gave the Ukrainian a free licence to select his next challenger, and he elected to call out American power puncher Wilder.

It came as a huge surprise to most, who expected Usyk to potentially face a leading contender or even pursue a trilogy with Tyson Fury.

Wilder has just one win under his belt since 2023 and has been urged to retire on some occasions.

But the American superstar still carries huge commercial draw, and a ferocious right hand which is arguably the most dangerous punch in the division when landed.

Both camps have confirmed there is mutual interest in getting the bout made official in 2026.

And now the 'Bronze Bomber' in a fresh update to talkSPORT, has confirmed they are already at the negotiating table.

"It is definitely becoming a real conversation," Wilder told talkSPORT's White & Jordan.

"Boxing is a business but sometimes it falls through, right now we are in talks for that fight, yes.

"I'm excited and looking forward to it. Once I get the final say-so and details, then my blood will be pumping.

"I am excited [for the potential of that fight happening], and once things become clearer, that is when I can go to camp."

It is clear that the possibility of the pair finally stepping in the ring together is growing with every breath.

Usyk will be an overwhelming favourite to get the job done given his dominance in the division, and Wilder's significant decline in form.

But the bout could generate huge revenue and commercial interest, despite being at opposite ends of the heavyweight landscape right now.

Wilder's reaction to Usyk's call-out
Most of the boxing public took Usyk's straight talking plea to face Wilder by significant surprise.

But Wilder believes the calls to face him were inevitable, given his recent blows against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang.

On the Usyk call-out he added: "I wasn't surprised, I was 50/50.

"I never get opportunities, no-one gives me chances especially coming up because of the power.

"The power gets me less chances, and after the losses, people get brave and confident.

"It is crazy that you get more chances when you lose, when I was at the top and knocking people out, I didn't get chances."

[Ruthless-RKO]

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Deontay Wilder negotiations are underway

Oleksandr Usyk surprised the boxing world earlier this month by stating that he wants to square off against Deontay Wilder.

The sentiment wasn’t simply a pipedream shared in passing. It turns out there was serious intent with the message.

Wilder said Thursday that the wheels are in motion to make the matchup a reality.

“The fight is in negotiations,” Wilder told Seconds Out. “My heart is pumping with joy, and I am excited. I think it's definitely going to happen. The best thing about it is that we are in negotiations. It's not just talk. These are real conversations that we are having with our teams. I am looking forward to it.”

Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs), The Ring, IBF, WBA and WBC champion, is running out of contemporaries to compete against after beating Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois twice each over the last four years.

In Wilder, Usyk is enticed by the idea of facing a power-punching American and former long-reigning heavyweight titleholder who captured global attention during his heated rivalry against Fury from 2018-21.

But Wilder (44-4-1, 43 KOs) is 2-4 in his last six fights since 2020, with the losses coming against Fury (TKO 7, KO 11), Joseph Parker (UD 12) and Zhilei Zhang (TKO 5). Wilder overcame injuries and mental health problems and returned in June to score a bounce-back seventh-round stoppage against Tyrrell Herndon.

Usyk, who turns 39 in January, vacated his WBO title last month because he believed a bout against Fabio Wardley wouldn't be good business.

There aren’t many greener pastures in the rest of the division for Usyk to pursue, outside of Wilder. Agit Kabayel is fighting for the WBC interim title in January, but his profile is similar to Wardley’s. Zhang, Parker and Martin Bakole are coming off losses and still need to work their way back up the ladder. And then there is 20-year-old phenom Moses Itauma, who’s still in the process of earning his stripes as a top-flight contender.

“I want to definitely continue fighting next year. I will continue boxing. I want to fight Deontay Wilder,” Usyk told Boxing King Media last week. “For me, I think it is very interesting. [Wilder] is a world champion guy, a very famous guy, this is a strong guy, and he is one of the greatest heavyweight fighters of the last 10 years.”

Usyk has previously stated that he’d like to fight in the United States again before calling it a career. The Ukrainian hasn’t fought on American soil since 2019 and has just three fights stateside since turning pro in 2012 following a gold medal run in the Olympics.

An attractive venue for Usyk-Wilder could be Madison Square Garden in New York. The occasion would allow Usyk to face the best American heavyweight fighter of the era, all while catering to a large Ukrainian-American population, much like Vasiliy Lomachenko did six times at MSG and MSG Theater.

“I know how boxing is, the business of it,” said Wilder. “I know you can have something one minute and the next minute you have nothing. But with this right here [in fighting Usyk], I think it's going to be solid. It's going to be a hell of a fight to watch.”