Deontay Wilder in Talks With Usyk, Also Eyeing Murat Gassiev

As fans know, reigning three-belt heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk surprisingly said a while back that he wants to fight, and very probably will fight, Deontay Wilder next, this next year some time in Usyk’s first fight back since his summer rematch win over Daniel Dubois. Wilder has said he is absolutely up for the fight, for the challenge, and that he is now in negotiations with Usyk’s team.

However, as he said when speaking with Boxing Social, former WBC heavyweight champ Wilder is also interested in taking a fight with Murat Gassiev. Now, most fans seem to feel Wilder would come up short in an effort at becoming a two-time heavyweight champ if he did fight Usyk, but might “The Bronze Bomber” have a shot at taking the WBA “regular” strap Russia’s Gassiev recently won by way of a 6th round KO win over Kubrat Pulev?

Gassiev looked good in taking out the durable Pulev, but he can be hit, and he has been beaten at heavyweight by Otto Wallin, this a fight that saw Gassiev get hurt. How would a Wilder challenge of Gassiev go?

“Congratulations to Murat Gassiev,” Wilder said after the Russian’s big win. “I think that would be an amazing fight. That was a beautiful left hook (he wiped Pulev out with). It was very sneaky.”

Maybe, if Wilder could fight Gassiev and defeat him, fans would take his challenge of Usyk that much more seriously. I for one would like to see Wilder take on Gassiev, it could be a fun fight of the highest order. It might be crazy to think, but Wilder, at age 40 and having looked so bad in two or three of his last four fights, has, potentially, two world title fight options open to him right now!

Let’s see if Usyk really does want Wilder and next, or if Wilder might go the Gassiev route instead.