Deontay Wilder's Reaction Deleted from Oleksandr Usyk's Farewell Fight List

JAKARTA - Former world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder was surprised that his name was not included in the list of three opponents that Oleksandr Usyk would face in a farewell fight before deciding to hang up his boxing gloves.

Usyk has announced three names for his final fight, including a clash with former kickboxing king Rico Verhoeven. The other two names are the winners of the duel between Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois and the trilogy with Tyson Fury.

Wilder, who knew his name was nowhere, reacted immediately. He said that it was not a problem for him at all even though the Ukrainian fighter had turned his back on him.

"Oh good, there's no Deontay Wilder on the list? He's changed his mind. We'll see if (the duel) happens. If it doesn't happen, it won't destroy my dreams," Wilder said, quoted from TalkSport.

Usyk is actually in talks to fight Wilder after turning down an offer to meet Wardley to retain his undisputed world champion status. The 39-year-old even stripped off his WBO title.

However, negotiations between Wilder and Usyk were unsuccessful. The Bronze Bomber, Wilder's nickname, prefers to face Derek Chisora on April 4, 2026 at The O2 Arena, London, England.

Wilder's decision made Usyk choose Verhoeven for a voluntary title defense fight in May 2026 in Egypt. The two-time undisputed world champion said the Dutchman was one of the three opponents he would face before retiring.

"I'm still here, whether he's here or not. I'm here for what I want to do in my life and what I want to do in this business, not for Usyk," Wilder continued.

Usyk is the best heavyweight fighter today. He has a record of always winning in 24 professional fights, of which 15 were obtained by knocking out (KO) opponents.

He first became the undisputed world champion in the heavyweight class in May 2024 when he defeated Fury. He then won their rematch at the end of that year, forcing Fury to retire the following month, but then returned earlier this year.