Deontay Wilder says no to a comeback fight offer. The former heavyweight champ turned down a chance to fight for the WBC bridgerweight title.
Wilder's been having a tough time lately. He's lost four of his last five fights, with three of those losses coming by knockout. At 38 years old, he's facing calls to retire after getting beaten by big names like Tyson Fury (twice), Joseph Parker, and Zhilei Zhang.
The "Bronze Bomber" did score a first-round knockout against Robert Helenius. But that win hasn't erased concerns about his performance. Wilder's been reluctant to use his right hand, and he doesn't have the technical skills to outbox opponents. People are wondering if he can still hang with the best in the division.
Lawrence Okolie, the WBC bridgerweight champ, offered Wilder a shot at his title. The bridgerweight division is new and has a 224-pound limit. Okolie thought it might be a good fit for Wilder, who weighed in at 214 pounds for his last fight.
"If he wants to keep boxing then it's probably worth boxing at Bridgerweight against maybe the WBC bridgerweight world champion. That would be a great fight. People still want to see Wilder because it's Wilder and despite him getting stopped like that you can see he still has power and athleticism. I'd welcome that fight."
But Wilder's not interested in moving down a weight class. His long-time manager, Shelly Finkel, turned down the offer:
"Please thank Lawrence Okolie for the offer, but we have no interest in the WBC bridgerweight title."
Wilder hasn't said if he'll keep fighting or hang up his gloves for good. He used to be the WBC heavyweight champ and was known as the biggest puncher in boxing. But things started going downhill after his rematch with Tyson Fury in 2020.
For now, Wilder's future in the ring is up in the air. Fans will have to wait and see what the "Bronze Bomber" decides to do next.
