Oleksandr Usyk Leaves Deontay Wilder Out Of Retirement Plan

Wilder had previously been linked to a clash with the Ukrainian champion before negotiations cooled.

Usyk had been exploring a fight with Wilder earlier this year after declining interest in a bout with Fabio Wardley and stepping away from one of his belts. Discussions around a heavyweight showdown circulated for months, but the fight never reached the contract stage.

The landscape has shifted quickly. Usyk is now expected to defend his title against kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven in Egypt in May, part of a plan that he says includes three more fights before retirement.

That shortlist also includes a possible meeting with the winner of Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois, plus a third fight with Tyson Fury. Wilder’s name was not mentioned.

The former WBC heavyweight champion said the omission caught him off guard.

“Oh nice, no Deontay Wilder in there? He’s changed courses,” Wilder told the Daily Mail.

Wilder suggested his reputation as one of the division’s most dangerous punchers could have played a part.

“Most time when people meet me and see me, an intimidation factor comes along,” Wilder said.

Even so, he insisted the situation does not alter his direction.

“We will see if it happens, if it doesn’t happen it doesn’t crush my dreams,” Wilder said. “I’m still here whether he’s here or not, no matter who is here I’m not here for any other guy in the division.”

Wilder’s immediate attention now turns to a different assignment. The American puncher is scheduled to face veteran Derek Chisora on April 4 in London, a fight that came together after negotiations with Usyk dragged on.

Wilder said the timeline around the Usyk discussions simply moved too slowly for a fighter at his stage of the game.

“Although we were in talks with Usyk, we still didn’t have a date or a place; we were still scrambling around,” Wilder told talkSPORT.

“In boxing, things either go very slow or very fast. There is no in between. And this was very slow.”

At 40, Wilder said waiting around was not an option.

“I am an older fighter; I can’t sit around like a young fighter. So while we were in negotiations with Usyk, we started negotiations with Chisora.”

By the time talks with Usyk picked up again, the Chisora deal had already reached the finish line.

“And then, when we had it signed with Chisora, that is when Usyk’s people came in and said, ‘Okay, let’s go, we are ready’,” Wilder said. “But I wasn’t going to do Chisora like that.”

For Wilder, the focus now shifts to the London fight. Chisora remains one of the division’s most stubborn pressure fighters, a man who forces exchanges and keeps the pace high.

The task is clear. Wilder still owns a right hand that can end a fight the moment it lands. Now he must start putting wins together if he wants his name mentioned again when the heavyweight belts come up for grabs.