Deontay Wilder has been called out by a former world champion who, despite his lack of activity in recent years, is now looking to return to the ring.
Wilder hasn’t exactly been the most prolific heavyweight either, with the American ending a year-long absence against Tyrrell Herndon in June.
The former WBC leader looked a faded version of himself before stopping his rival in the seventh round of his otherwise uneventful comeback fight.
Before that, Wilder suffered a truly punishing fifth-round stoppage loss to Zhilei Zhang, which followed a similarly one-sided, if less devastating, points loss to Joseph Parker in 2023.
Andy Ruiz Jr, who has not fought since his controversial draw with Jarrell Miller in August 2024, hopes to attempt “The Bronze Bomber” in an all-American duel.
The former unified champion injured his hand early in the fight, losing momentum and leaving many fans believing Miller should have emerged victorious.
Ruiz hasn’t quite lived up to his true potential since pulling off an almighty upset over Anthony Joshua, whom he dethroned with a stunning seventh-round finish in 2019. He believes a link-up with former coach Manny Robles will see him fight back.
But while the 36-year-old has now called for fights with Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury and Joshua – which are unlikely to materialize – he also, while speaking with Covers, expressed interest in a more realistic clash with Wilder.
“Usyk, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Wilder of course – [all] four of them. These are the big names.
Wilder recently revealed he plans to return in January, but no announcement has yet been made regarding an opponent. He and Ruiz both discussed a fight on social media earlier this year, making this intriguing clash a real possibility for later in 2026.
