Deontay Wilder To Take Tune Ups, Then Chase Big Fights In 2026: ‘I Don’t Have Anything Left To Prove’

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Deontay Wilder To Take Tune-Ups, Then Chase Big Fights In 2026: ‘I Don’t Have Anything Left To Prove’

Don’t expect Deontay Wilder to walk straight into the fire.
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With only one win under his belt over the last six years, the former heavyweight belt holder is planning on taking some tune-up tilts to see if he still has what it takes to compete at the top level.
The first test for Wilder (43-4-1, 42 KOs) arrives in the form of Tyrrell Herndon (24-5, 15 KOs) on Friday at the Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas. The Global Combat Collective PPV event will be distributed by BLK Prime, Fubo, and PPV.com, among others, for $24.95.
“I want to make sure everything is good with me,” Wilder told The Ring in an interview. “We’re our biggest critics, and there is nothing like losing your confidence within yourself.
“We have a few fights lined up for this year, and it’s going to be some warm-ups. We’ll call it warm-ups, and that’s no disrespect to any opponent who steps in the ring with me. We’re tuning things up. I want to make sure everything is back and functioning back to how I used to be, and even better.”

Wilder is 1-4 in his last five fights, which include two knockout losses against Tyson Fury in 2020 and 2021, a one-round disposal of Robert Helenius in 2022, a listless performance in a unanimous decision loss against Joseph Parker in 2023, and most recently a pulverizing knockout loss by Zhilei Zhang in June 2024.
Wilder said his losses against Parker and Zhang were largely due to the dark time he was going through outside of the ring. He’s since sought therapy from a psychologist.
“It feels good to be a veteran,” said Wilder. “I’ve been to the highest level. I understand what it takes to get back to that level, and you have to have the perfect mindset to be able to do that. I’ve developed that 10 times over.”
Wilder, who turns 40 in October, is serious about giving it one last go, as evidenced by his near million-dollar investment building a custom and futuristic boxing gym in Alabama.
The slogan atop the ring reads “King of God’s Army.”
But how many more wars can “The Bronze Bomber” endure?

“I have accomplished a lot,” said Wilder, who defended his WBC title 10 times before meeting his match in Fury.
“I had opportunities to come back and fight against big names, but this year is going to be about tune-ups to make sure what I say is what I am still capable of. Once I complete these tasks, next year is back to the big leagues.
“I don’t have anything left to prove. I have a state-funded statue back home. I am a walking, living legend. But being the unified heavyweight champion is one of my goals. Here I am once again, ready to go baby.”