Article by Rick Mohamed

Deontay Wilder was suspended for 6 months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after he was discharged from the hospital late Saturday evening following his devastating loss to nemesis Tyson Fury, who knocked out Wilder in the 11th round of their WBC (and lineal) heavyweight title bout. 

Wilder broke a finger on his right hand, prompting the Commission, along with all of the sanctioning bodies, to suspend him until April, when he will need medical clearance to fight again. Fury himself was given a 45-day suspension following the fight, his greatest victory to date. 

Wilder’s trainer Malik Scott said that he wants to keep Deontay away from the sport of boxing for awhile, to regroup, plan his next moves and enjoy his family. Fury also plans a sabbatical away from the squared circle, as he had spent only 2 weeks out of the last 6 months at home. 

Now that their legendary trilogy has ended, eager fight fans are pondering what’s next for both fighters. 

Will Deontay Wilder Retire?

After losing twice and earning a draw vs Fury in his last 3 bouts, is Wilder ready to pack it in, to retire? He did his best in the trilogy match, knocking Fury down 2 times, but was out-boxed the rest of the fight before being dispatched in the 11th round. 

Almost everyone overwhelmingly credits Wilder with a courageous & gutsy performance that, in most cases, would have gotten him the victory. He was a warrior who wanted nothing less than to go out on his shield, and he did exactly that. 

The future is going to be very interesting for him. He wants the titles back, but a 4th fight vs Fury, though possible and potential very lucrative, is highly unlikely, at least for the forseeable future. 

Deontay Wilder’s Next Opponent Will Be…

His best hope is to fight other top fighters and eliminate them (a “tournament”, in which fighters-PBC fighters, take on each other, and Wilder’s the prize who offers a big payday? Hmmm…), leaving the champion, whoever he may be, with no one else to fight but him. 

The biggest name out there for him is another former heavyweight champion on the comeback trail, Andy Ruiz Jr. Ruiz defeated former unified champion Anthony Joshua by KO in their first match, but lost the belts in the rematch. 

He won a unanimous decision last summer vs Chris Arreola, in which he was knocked down in the 2nd round. He got up off the canvas & rallied to win. It was an impressive victory, and he’s the biggest available name that Wilder can attract once he’s healed and ready, possibly by summer 2022. 

This will most likely be Wilder’s next fight, unless… 

What’s Next for Tyson Fury?

Tyson Fury, who won’t fight until early 2022 at the earliest, is looking to fight the winner of the Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk rematch. Usyk upset Joshua on Sept. 25, beating him by unanimous decision and claiming the WBA, WBO, & IBF belts. 

If Usyk wins, there will almost surely be a Usyk vs Fury unification bout probably by summer 2022. If Joshua wins, then he’ll face Fury. 

Barring a trilogy Usyk vs Joshua fight, the title will be unified by the summer. Fury, if he wins, will be undefeated and master over everything he surveys, the king of the hill. 

Tyson Fury is the Baddest Man on the Planet

What’s a bigger title than Undefeated, Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World? If memory serves, the last man to hold that title was Riddick “Big Daddy” Bowe. 

Possibly President of the United States. Let me ask you his: who’s more intimidating-Tyson Fury, or Joe Biden? 

Tyson Fury might be hard-pressed to find a worthy adversary to fight him after the dust settles. He’ll have beaten the other champions, except for, wait for it… Andy Ruiz Jr. 

There’s that name again. 

Ruiz is in a good place to earn the payday of his life. He can either be Fury’s next opponent while Usyk vs Joshua 2 (& possibly 3) is fought, or he can be Wilder’s next opponent after his suspension. 

Dillian Whyte also figures in the mix, as he’s 1. A fellow Brit, and 2. he’s coming off an impressive KO of Alexander Povetkin, sending Povetkin into retirement. 

The Brits are eager to get the title back and hold it a while. Joshua beating Usyk could setup a Fury vs Joshua, all-Brit unification battle, which should’ve been fought, but Wilder filed a successful suit that granted him the trilogy fight, forgoing any negotiated Joshua vs Fury unification match (if there ever was one-looking at you Eddie Hearn). 

That matchup could easily fill London’s Wembley Stadium, having a capacity of upwards of 100,000+ screaming Brits. The last unified heavyweight champion was Lennox Lewis, a Brit, & boxing was founded in Great Britain, so the Brits feel the heavyweight champion should reside there. 

In conclusion, Deontay Wilder is 35, and enjoyed a long, successful 10-fight title defense of his title, something few others have done. He’s a sure-Hall of Famer, and doesn’t want to end his career after a loss. However, he still may have something to prove to himself, and nothing less than winning at least a piece of the heavyweight title will appease him. If he does so, he seals his legacy forever.

LETSGOCHAMPS!! 

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LETSGOCHAMPS!