Deontay Wilder Provides Update on Oleksandr Usyk Negotiations

Earlier this year, Wilder snapped a difficult skid with a much-needed victory. After back-to-back losses to Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker and a long layoff, Wilder returned on June 28, delivering a seventh-round TKO over Tyrrell Herndon. It was a reminder that  The Bronze Bomber still possesses the eraser that made him one of boxing’s most dangerous heavyweights.

And now, the next chapter might be even bigger.

While in Thailand for this year’s annual WBC convention, undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk told Boxing King Media that he personally wants a fight with Deontay Wilder. That alone turned heads—but Wilder has now confirmed that negotiations are officially underway, offering his own detailed update.

Speaking with BoxingScene, Wilder admitted he didn't see this opportunity coming.
‘I wasn’t expecting that at all… when I got the call, my manager said, 'I’m calling tomorrow.' We on the phone. I’m pacing… there’s probably some burnt residue in my rug right now because of me going back and forth,’ he said.

The excitement was undeniable.
‘I thought I smelled smoke… I was overwhelmed with joy.’

When asked if he wanted the fight, Wilder didn’t hesitate.
‘Oh, hell yeah, I want that smoke. I want all that smoke. We’re going to make signal out of that smoke.’

And then came the biggest takeaway:
‘We in negotiations right now. Negotiations are going very well. I just hope and pray that it all ends well… and we get the fight, give the fans what they want to see.’

Wilder added that fans have been vocal about their excitement:
‘I had to call my guy like, man, they are really pumped for this fight.’

Nothing is signed yet, but both sides seem aligned—and that alone makes this matchup far more realistic than it appeared even a month ago. A towering puncher versus a master technician, both with global star power, both with legacy on the line—boxing could be in for a massive start to 2026.

If negotiations continue at this pace, the heavyweight division's holiday surprise might just become next year's biggest event.