Deontay Wilder talks back fight and the opponent is ideal

Deontay Wilder is not retiring – at least not right now.

The former WBC heavyweight champion told TMZ Sports that he is recovering from an arm injury and is interested in “getting into” talks about facing Francis Ngannou in a boxing match.

Here’s a look at the clip TMZ Sports posted of him talking to Wilder.

Ngannou has said so he wants to fight Wilderand the Bronze Bomber is apparently willing and able to accept the challenge. But he was also very respectful and empathetic towards Ngannou because of the tragic loss of his son.

“A lot of things in different countries and stuff,” Wilder said. “Even with Francis, hope all goes well for you, I’m sorry for your loss. I can only imagine what it’s like to lose a child. I hope I never feel that feeling myself. I hope life goes beautiful for you bro. It’s a conversation I’m still looking to get into the mix and talk about.”

While many believe Wilder should call it a career after four losses in his last five fights (four defeats by TKO), if he continues, a fight against Ngannou makes the most sense for several reasons.

Wilder-Ngannou is a fight that should favor the man with 48 professional boxing fights. However, there are legitimate doubts due to how well Ngannou acquitted himself against Tyson Fury in October 2023 and the decline we’ve seen from Wilder.

Even with the shadow of a doubt, Ngannou is the perfect opponent for him at this stage of his career. Stylistically, Ngannou won’t be elusive, and Wilder won’t have to chase him.

Ngannou will likely be there to get hit, and that’s right up Wilder’s alley. While Ngannou has punch, his punches aren’t incredibly fast—at least not as a boxer. Without the threat of a takedown, Ngannou’s edge in bulk won’t be as much of a factor.

Ngannou’s defense also looked lacking against Anthony Joshua. It led to a vicious knockout in the second round of their fight in March. Wilder should have opportunities to land the shots that made him one of the most feared fighters of his generation.

More than anything, a fight with Ngannou makes sense for Wilder because it’s a fight that will allow him to earn a massive payday without taking on an opponent who is a top contender or who has an advantage before for boxing.

Both fighters are heavyweights with a big punch, so some risk is involved. However, this fight would provide the lowest potential risk for the highest reward for Wilder. If Wilder wins, his win will give him some much needed positive vibes and could lead to another money fight.

Wilder has another potentially colossal payday, and it would come if he fought Joshua.

With Joshua suffering a KO loss to Daniel Dubois in his last fight, the matchup seems plausible again. Despite both men coming off KO losses, they could still pack an arena in the United Kingdom or the United States.

However, it remains to be seen whether Matchroom wants to put Joshua in the ring with someone as dangerous as Wilder. If Joshua lost to Wilder at this point, his career could end.

Conversely for Wilder. Getting knocked out by Joshua would be devastating and seems a bit more likely than it would be with Ngannou. Wilder turned 39 last month. If he’s still fighting, the matchups should be calculated risks, and my math says facing Ngannou is the more intelligent decision.