British Heavyweight Extends Lifeline to Deontay Wilder: "It's Now or Never"

Deontay Wilder's boxing career has hit a rough patch, but he's got a chance to turn things around. The former heavyweight champ has been offered fights against British heavyweights Derek Chisora or Joe Joyce.

Wilder's been out of the spotlight since his last two fights in Saudi Arabia didn't go his way. He lost to Joseph Parker in a fight where he didn't throw many punches. Parker won easily on the scorecards, and the winner was supposed to fight Anthony Joshua next.

Things got even worse for Wilder in his next bout. He faced Zhilei Zhang, a tough Chinese southpaw, and got stopped in just five rounds. Before that fight, Wilder had said he might think about retiring if he lost.

Now, Turki Alalshikh from Riyadh Season has thrown Wilder a lifeline. He's open to Wilder fighting either Chisora or Joyce. In an interview with Charlie Parsons, Alalshikh said:

"They asked me [about Wilder-Chisora] and I said clearly if he is getting himself back, why not? But, believe me, I tried two times and it's not happened…"

Alalshikh also replied to a fan on Twitter about the possible matchups:

"If Wilder still have it, why not"

But Alalshikh's not completely sold on Wilder after his last two fights.

Derek Chisora's got 48 fights under his belt and wants to make it to 50 before he hangs up his gloves. He just beat Joe Joyce in a tough fight, winning by decision after a late knockdown. That win made some fans think Chisora's still got what it takes.

Chisora's been calling for a fight with Wilder for a while now. With both fighters at this stage in their careers, it looks more likely than ever that they'll finally face off in the ring.