Deontay Wilder is back! The ex-champ fights Tyrrell Herndon on Friday – and wants to shoot himself back into the limelight with a strong performance.
Deontay Wilder is back! The former WBC World Heavyweight Champion returns to the ring after a long break – and with visibly new power. This Friday, “The Bronze Bomber” will fight his first fight since his bitter defeat to Zhilei Zhang in June 2024. The venue for the comeback: the Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas.
His opponent, Texan Tyrrell Anthony Herndon (24-5), is regarded as the clear underdog. Although he has experience, he has always been stopped prematurely by strong opponents – including on Efe Ajagba’s debut. For Wilder, this fight is a kind of new start and possibly his last chance to re-establish himself among the top heavyweights.
What is striking is that the now 39-year-old looks fitter and bulkier than ever. Training pictures show a much more muscular Wilder, apparently with a new strategy and new weight. In his last fights, he weighed less than 100 kilos – this time he seems to be well over that.
The event will be broadcast as a pay-per-view in the USA, including on PPV.com and BLK Prime (from around 3 a.m. CEST). In addition to Deontay Wilder, other names on the card include local hero and Olympic medalist Nico Hernandez and Bareknuckle star Gustavo Trujillo.