Deontay Wilder will face Tyrell Herndon in a comeback fight this June.
Wilder is now 39-years-old and has won just one of his last five outings as a professional.
The American was pencilled in to fight journeyman Curtis Harper in the first quarter of this year but the fight collapsed.
Now it’s been confirmed Wilder will return in June.
Promoters Nelson Lopez and Joshua Chasse of Global Combat Collective revealed that the ‘Bronze Bomber’ will take on 24-5 veteran Herndon on June 27 in Kansas.
Herndon is 37-years-old and is on a three-fight winning streak since being brutally stopped in two rounds by American prospect Richard Torrez Jr in October 2023.
Promoter Chasse added on the announcement: “This is Wilder’s legacy reloaded, he’s still one of the hardest punchers in boxing,” .
“He’s on the road back to becoming the heavyweight champion of the world, and this is the first step.”
It will be a much needed tune-up fight for Wilder who will be looking to blow away any ring rust having not fought since his defeat to Zhang last year.
The American hasn’t tasted victory since his brutal stoppage win over Robert Helenius, a more limited opponent.
And having been accused of being gun-shy in his recent bouts, Wilder will hope to let his hands go and get a statement stoppage under his belt again.
Many in the boxing fraternity called for him to retire after his defeats, which derailed a huge commercial blockbuster clash with Anthony Joshua.
Top RankHerndon will be a huge underdog against Wilder[/caption]
But he defiantly batted away calls and believes he still has more to give, despite looking a shadow of his power-punching self.
Should his warm-up fight go well, Wilder will be hoping to be fast tracked into big mega-money clashes.
He has recently been linked with a shot against fellow heavy-handed fighter Francis Ngannou, with promoters hopeful a future deal can materialise.
But despite the belief Wilder is beyond his best days in the squared circle, Malik Scott claimed there is still big opportunities on the table if he can get back to winning ways.
He said: “Deontay has the heart of a lion and is willing to go out on his shield in the ring. He’ll be back. Deontay will fight again.
“He still has a bright future in boxing, especially at the high level. Losses happen in boxing, even to the greatest fighters.
“Right now, he’s doing very well; recovering, enjoying life, and heavily involved in real estate and investing.
“Deontay’s still in the realm of big fights, still in a position to make a lot of money and history.
“He’s very blessed. Ngannou’s focus is on his PFL fight with Ferreira right now, and that’s a big, imposing fight.
“As for the biggest fight, it could be against Ngannou or AJ. They are still mega fights. AJ Maybe doesn’t have the same juice it once did, but it would still sell out any arena or stadium.
“I’m proud of Deontay. He’s still in a position to make these big fights happen.”
