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Many expected Deontay Wilder to beat Joseph Parker on The Day of Reckoning boxing card and set up a mega-fight with Anthony Joshua sometime in 2024.
Things, however, did not go according to plan for 'The Bronze Bomber,' who was bested by Parker on the night. Since then, it's unclear what's next for Wilder. According to user @Seckbach on X (formerly Twitter), who is a reporter, Wilder has put the loss behind him and is already back to work.
While Wilder alluded at a few reasons as to why he may have been at a disadvantage on the night, he did admit to getting back to the gym "the next day." He said:
"It was a boring fight, nothing really happened. I went right back to training the next day. He really didn't do nothing, they just went off the little flurries or whatever. In the training for that I had to travel two times, 20 hours of travelling. And those guys were already in Europe, they were only 2/3 hours away. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying what I had to go through. [h/t - @MichaelBensonn on X]"
Who could Deontay Wilder face next?
Unfortunately for Deontay Wilder, many of the top heavyweights are already booked to compete, so he may need to take a step-down in competition if he is looking to get back in the ring quickly.
Many expected him to face Anthony Joshua after getting through Joseph Parker, but that did not come to fruition. Joshua has instead been booked to face Francis Ngannou.
Meanwhile, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will battle it out to unify the heavyweight titles for the first time in over two decades. The two were initially supposed to face each other on Feb. 17, 2024, but Fury was forced to withdraw due to a nasty cut he suffered in training. Now, the bout has been rescheduled to take place on May 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
As a result, Deontay Wilder doesn't have a lot of choices when it comes to top-ranked opponents. This may force him to take some time off, or opt to face a lower-ranked fighter if he wishes to get back in the ring sooner, rather than later.
