Deontay Wilder plans to step back into the ring in 2025, despite recent setbacks in Saudi Arabia.
The 39-year-old heavyweight faced tough losses in his last two fights. Joseph Parker outpointed him, and Zhilei Zhang stopped him in less than five rounds. These defeats led many fans to suggest Wilder should hang up his gloves for good.
But Wilder isn't ready to call it quits. His trainer, Malik Scott, shared some insights with JeffBet about the former champion's future plans.
"Yeah, I definitely would not be shocked if something happened. If he wants to do it, 2025 to me will be the perfect year for him to come back."
Scott believes fighting is at the core of who Wilder is, both in and out of the ring.
"My instinct is saying fighting is a part of Deontay's heart. It's just who he is. He's a fighter, even when he's not fighting in a ring. He's just a fighter, so I believe that he will come back in 2025. But we'll see. Everything has to be right for him to come back again. So we'll see. If you ask me my feeling, my feeling is that 2025 is coming up, and I believe it's going to be a big year for him."
While Wilder plots his comeback, another heavyweight legend might be eyeing a return. Rumors are swirling about Wladimir Klitschko possibly facing IBF champion Daniel Dubois. The goal? To break George Foreman's record as the oldest heavyweight titlist.
There's also talk of a potential fight between Klitschko and Tyson Fury, if Fury beats Oleksandr Usyk. This idea comes from Riyadh Season's Turki Alalshikh.
Scott shared his thoughts on a potential Wilder-Klitschko matchup:
"Wladimir Klitschko is a legend. There's so much that comes with that brand of Wladimir Klitschko. So, that's worth the while right there. I'm sure that would be a name to consider if that rumour he wants to return is true, that would be a name to put some attention on."
He added,
"If something like that were to happen, Deontay Wilder and Wladimir, it'd be one of the biggest heavyweight fights of all time. But I would be very shocked if Wladimir came back. I look at Vitali, Wladimir, and Lennox as the type of fighters, to me, when they're done, they're done. So, if he comes back, he won't be a new face in the division. His presence still will be felt."
Klitschko's last fight was a stoppage loss to Anthony Joshua in 2017. He's been retired since then but has often hinted at a comeback.
As both Wilder and Klitschko consider their futures, fight fans will keep a close eye on the heavyweight division in the coming months.
